More than our bellies

When you land on More Than Our Bellies, it’s immediately clear that this is more than a cookbook - it is a dialogue between designer Phillip Lim and photographer Viviane Sassen. The project weaves together Lim’s deeply personal recipes, drawn from childhood memories and family traditions, with Sassen’s expressive and intimate photography. Each dish carries a story, from the warmth of a home-cooked meal to the sense of nostalgia it evokes, while the photographs capture fleeting moments of life across diverse cultures.

The collaboration reflects a shared understanding between Lim and Sassen: a celebration of creative freedom, authenticity, and the subtle beauty found in everyday life. Together, they transform the act of cooking and eating into a visual and emotional journey that speaks to connection, memory, and care.

The recipes and photographs span continents, from Ethiopia and Morocco to Madagascar, highlighting both personal history and cultural richness. Sassen’s work brings a painterly, almost tactile quality to the images, rendering each moment with care and a sense of immediacy. Rather than showing finished dishes or staged perfection, the photographs focus on gestures, textures, and the intimate environments in which food is prepared and shared.

This approach mirrors the philosophy behind the project: life, culture, and creativity are found in the process, in the act of making and sharing, rather than in a polished final product. The interplay of Lim’s recipes and Sassen’s images creates a layered narrative that invites the viewer to reflect on food as a connector of people, memory, and place.

At its core, More Than Our Bellies emphasizes process over perfection. Lim’s recipes are designed to be adapted and personalized, encouraging readers to experiment and make each dish their own. Sassen’s photography highlights spontaneity, serendipity, and the authenticity of creating in the moment. Together, they explore the possibilities of collaboration, where shared experiences and mutual respect shape the work in unexpected and beautiful ways. The project celebrates the intimate rituals of cooking and eating, the joy of discovery, and the power of food and images to connect people across time, culture, and geography. It is a labor of love that nourishes not only the body but the imagination.