Chen Xiang began their career as a graphic designer with a focus on photo manipulation, initially crafting sports-themed designs for Taiwan’s Uni-Lions baseball team. Over time, they shifted their focus to creating warm and playful concepts designed to bring joy to others. "Since I've always loved cats, this naturally led to my current creations," they shared with Bored Panda.
When asked about the inspiration behind the series of cats and food, Chen Xiang shared that it all began when they encountered an orange tabby cat for the first time. "Its patterns reminded me of the marbling on salmon—it looked so delicious! I thought of adding some rice underneath, and that idea became the foundation of my work."
The artist carefully selects each cat's color to complement the theme of the dish they're designing. "I aim to make the final work look 'delicious,' so I tend to avoid using gray or calico cats as they're harder to blend seamlessly into food concepts. I'm still experimenting with ways to incorporate them without making the design feel out of place. My favorite theme is desserts!"
Chen Xiang revealed that their favorite part of the process is brainstorming creative ways to seamlessly blend the two elements. "For example, when I worked on Taiwan's bubble tea, I struggled at first because it was challenging to represent. Then, inspiration struck—I wondered if there might be a cat that naturally resembles bubble tea. After researching, I found one! The African serval, which looks a bit like a leopard, has a spotted coat that's an exact match for bubble tea. I was thrilled!"
