STORY BEHIND THE ART OF ASUKA HISHIKI

Abundant Future: Cultivating Diversity in Garden, Farm, and Field

Zapotec Heirloom Tomato

Solanum lycopersicm 'Zapotec Pleated'

It’s been more than a decade since I started portraying heirloom tomatoes. It was love at first sight in the Union Square farmers’ market in New York City. The alien-like, strange shapes and colors - each tomato is so unique that I almost see its character. Instantly the heirloom tomato became a rock star as a subject for me. It was the start of my tomato addiction.

It’s been quite a while since that fateful encounter, so I cannot recall the moment any longer, feeling that the heirloom tomato was always my favorite. Yet I clearly remember the days walking in the market, visiting every vegetable vendor, checking the tomatoes one by one, looking for “THE ONE” for my next painting… Actually, around the first time I saw them at the market, it seemed that “heirloom tomato” was treated as a delicacy, more like a rare and expensive vegetable. Only a few farmers grew the tomatoes. Sure, they are still on the expensive side compared to regular tomatoes, but nowadays in the US, they can be found even in a regular supermarket. Once, the heirloom tomato was new, a one of a kind rising star, but now it is settled as one of the healthy options, like tofu. It contains not only rich nutrition and deep flavor, but also a long history and many varieties with unique names. Of course, everyone will love these tomatoes!

When I heard that the next New York Botanical Garden Triennial theme would be about heirloom plants and crop diversity, I danced. It would be so much fun seeing all the heirloom collections and diversity. I thought about which tomato I should try portraying. It must be special, or maybe it should be the most ordinary, but still a gorgeous looking one. Or my usual misshapen, weird but wonderful looking fruit…. But it all depended on my ability to grow nice, big plants bearing good fruits. I had only two summers to catch the best-looking tomato. Since I moved back to Japan, no farmers around us have grown heirloom tomatoes. It is still a rare vegetable in Japan. And unfortunately, my green thumb is not quite green. The weather was not especially helping me out either - we were experiencing super-hot and dry summers. Yet, I was lucky enough to grow several good tomatoes, and create a few paintings.

The surprise came not long before the spring submission date. Oh, my lord!! I didn’t read the theme guidelines well. It was clearly noted: For the purpose of this exhibition, the heirloom cultivar must have been identified over 50 years ago. 50 years… Most of the heirloom tomatoes I had portrayed were not heirloom enough to be in the show!!!

I contacted the World Tomato Society. Yes, the definition was confirmed. My summer tomatoes like Noire Charbonneuse and Pink Accordion are beautiful, but not heirloom. Panicking, I kept searching all of my available tomato paintings, looking for a true heirloom. Paul Robeson, Green Giant, Pink Petticoat, blue Ozark Sunset - all are rather new varieties. I was completely blindsided! And while I did have some paintings of true heirlooms, like Black Krim, they were still half done.

Finally, I found THE ONE.

Zapotec!! These big, ribbed or pleated fruits are truly heirloom. I sighed with relief.

Originating many centuries ago from the indigenous Zapotec people in Oaxaca, Mexico, the Zapotec tomato later made its way to Europe. According to the heirloom plant conservationist, Amy Goldman, in her book The Heirloom Tomato: From Garden to Table, some of the tomatoes illustrated in 16th century European herbals were multicolored and heavily ribbed - similar in shape to Zapotec. During my research, I also found a ribbed tomato in a 17th century Japanese scroll painted by the prominent artist Kano Tanyu. Although I cannot find what variety it was, it looked very like a Zapotec tomato. All this was eye-opening for me, but at the same time it reminded me that this popular red fruit has such a long history.

After posing for weeks, my Zapotec tomato ended up as tomato pasta for my lunch. Unfortunately, it was not as tasty as advertised. It normally has a mild, sweet flavor. Maybe it had waited too long for me.

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Read more about this artist’s work: 23rd Annual