Charlie Grosso

Charlie Grosso, a Chinese American woman with a male Italian name, was born in 1979 in Taipei, Taiwan, where she lived until she was 11. She studied theater design at USC and studied photography with many well-known commercial photographers, including Jay Maisel. Her work has been exhibited in Los Angeles, New York, and Paris, and her most recent efforts have been focused on a single body of work, Wok the Dog. Before speaking about food photography at Zócalo, she told us a bit more about herself.

Q. What is the best gift you have ever received?

A. Friendship.

Q. What was the last thing that inspired you?

A. A song.

Q. What comforts you?

A. Food, friends.

Q. When do you feel most creative?

A. When I am in the company of other creative people.

Q. How would you describe yourself in five words or fewer?

A. Relentless, passionate, driven.

Q. If you could be anyone in history, who would you be?

A. Myself.

Q. What is your favorite thing about Los Angeles?

A. The Pacific.

Q. What is the best advice you have ever received?

A. Don’t give up.

Q. How did you get into trouble as a child?

A. Always. All kinds.

Q. What is your greatest extravagance?

A. Books.

Q. Where would we find you at 10 a.m. on a Saturday?

A. With a cup of coffee somewhere.

Q. What do you wish you had the nerve to do?

A. Give up.

Q. If you were about to be executed, what would you want for your final meal?

A. Something comforting, something I had when I was a child – probably porridge.

Q. Who is the one person living or dead you would most want to meet for dinner?

A. Eddie Vedder.

To read more about Grosso’s panel on food photography, click here.

*Photo by Sarah Rivera.