You’re going to need a better rival , 2017

Chloe Wise's 2016 solo exhibition at Galerie Division in Montreal explored the thematic connections between food and the female form. The exhibition investigated ideas of desire and mortality through visual connections between these two subjects.

Wise employed a strategy of subverting traditional and commercially-driven iconography. This approach served to highlight the charged relationship between the female body and culinary representations. The exhibition positioned both food and the female form as symbols of luxury and abundance, while simultaneously acknowledging their inherent impermanence and potential for decay.

One specific example included the painting "You're going to need a better rival." This work, from which a limited edition print was later created, presented a stark juxtaposition. A solitary hand, depicted in a slender and perhaps suggestive manner, grasped a commonplace can of tomato paste. The background of the painting evoked the desolate landscapes of surrealist artist Magritte. This contrast between the familiar food product and the barren environment challenged viewers to consider the can in a new light, potentially associating it with themes of desire within the unexpected context.

Through this type of visual manipulation, Wise's exhibition encouraged viewers to move beyond a purely aesthetic experience. Instead, it prompted a more critical examination of the cultural associations surrounding both food and the female form.