HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) - A new art exhibit at Holyoke Community College's Taber Art Gallery invites viewers to rethink domesticity, gender roles, and the consumption of the human body through humor and food. Springfield, Chicopee awarded grants for new firefighter equipment Texas artist Sheryl Anaya's exhibit, 'Absurd Appetites (Table for Two)' opened on Tuesday and will run through March 13. The gallery will host an opening reception on Thursday, January 23, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., featuring an artist's talk at 6:00 p.m. The exhibit features a surreal mix of imagery and objects: salami spread on baguettes in a bathtub, pears wearing aprons, hot dogs encased in gelatin, and men's work shirts transformed into quilted table linens. Tables for two, set with bread-filled stacks containing mini projectors, display videos of Anaya making sandwiches in unexpected and unconventional settings. Courtesy of Holyoke Community College. “Absurd Appetites distorts the norms of a typical dining experience,” Anaya said in her artist’s statement. “Considering the deconstruction and consumption of the body, absurd actions surprise and set the tone for examining our roles within gendered labor, sexuality, and domestic space. Humor tempers the seriousness of these topics to avoid confrontation at the dinner table.” Courtesy of Holyoke Community College. The exhibit builds on a theme Anaya explored in her master’s thesis, which centered on the story of St. Agatha, a third-century Christian martyr and patron saint of bakers and breast cancer patients. Inspired by Sicilian pastries made in honor of St. Agatha, Anaya delves into the metaphorical and literal consumption of women’s bodies. “My original piece was a 20-by-8-foot table,” Anaya said. “Absurd Appetites turns that into a more intimate experience, leaning into the absurdity of some of the food items.” Anaya, a queer Puerto Rican artist and educator based in Fort Worth, Texas, holds a master of fine arts in studio art with an emphasis in sculpture from Texas Christian University and a bachelor of fine arts from Texas Woman’s University. Her work examines identity and empathy through intimate relationships, nostalgia, and universal human experiences. The Taber Art Gallery is located off the lobby of the HCC Library on the second floor of the Donahue Building. Admission is free, and the gallery is open Monday through Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., during regular school sessions. You can visit their website for more information. Local News Headlines ‘Absurd Appetites’ exhibit opens at Holyoke Community College Warming shelters available in Amherst, Hadley Wareham woman sentenced to over four years in prison for selling fentanyl resulting in overdose death Temps expected to reach near or below zero Tuesday night WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.