Souvlaki 2024

Summary

This ceramic artwork of a souvlaki was made by Kenny Pittock for the 2025 City Gallery exhibition 'The Dirty Dozen'. Curated by award-winning food writer and author Richard Cornish, the exhibition delved into the sometimes-dark, often-uplifting stories behind street food, produce markets and the dining habits of the 19th-century elite. The twelve ceramic artworks produced by Pittock bring to life 12 quintessential Melbourne street foods. All look good enough to eat.

"A late-night souvlaki in Lonsdale Street is a rite of passage for many Melburnians. Grilled lamb wrapped in pita (flatbread) and served with garlic yoghurt sauce has probably been eaten in Melbourne since the first Greek diaspora arrived during the gold rush. The rise of ‘souva’ joints in the inner suburbs during the 1950s followed a second wave of post-WWII migrants from Greece. Technically, what we eat here in Melbourne is a ‘gyros’, which refers to the upright rotisserie on which layers of lamb rotate as they’re grilled, while a souvlaki refers to skewered meat." - Richard Cornish, 'The Dirty Dozen' exhibition catalogue