Everyday objects as objets d’art. Packaging as art. The pervasive worship of consumerism. These are concepts often explored by pop artists. In the Localised collection, I explore the localisation of global brands in the city where I currently live, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The Cans series focuses on how brands localise soda can packaging.

I have always been obsessed with food packaging design. I don’t think people pay enough attention to the ways brands try to engage with and influence us through colour, shape, imagery and style in food packaging. As an Australian living in Southeast Asia, I found myself fascinated by the branding localisation of familiar products. Global brands such as Coca-Cola remain instantly recognisable despite the name being translated to local script. Localisation makes me see the familiar and ordinary in a new way. I can’t read Khmer script, so I’m particularly interested in the way a brand name translates into it.