© 2026. The Trustees of Indiana University
Copyright Complaints
1229 East Seventh Street, Bloomington, Indiana 47405
News, Arts and Culture from WFIU Public Radio and WTIU Public Television
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Elevating Cheese And Chocolate To Art

Who says you can't play with your food? Food sculptors are taking mundane food items, like cheese and chocolate, and making them art.

Sarah Kaufmann is known as "the Cheese Lady" for a good reason -- Kaufmann is a professional cheese sculptor. And if you think she is sticking to dairy-related source material, think again. She has sculpted human figures from cheese, including a life-size Santa Claus.

When asked why Kaufmann uses cheese as her medium, she says, "The cheese found me."

Håkan Mårtensson takes a different approach to his sculptures -- the former pastry chef is a chocolate sculptor.

Mårtensson has competed internationally sculpting chocolate. He has a broad portfolio as well as Kaufmann, but he likes to focus on fantasy.

He has created sculptures of Yoda from Star Wars out of chocolate, but his favorite muse is J.R.R. Tolkien, author of "Lord of the Rings."

Read More:

  • A Food Sculptor On Her Passion: "The Cheese Found Me" (NPR)
  • Chocolate Sculptor Håkan Mårtensson Talks Inspiration And Tolkien At New York Chocolate Show (...Ology)