Chocolate art spells sweet success

If art is a question of taste, Australian painter Sid Chidiac - whose works are entirely made of fine Belgian chocolate - has given himself a head start in the popularity ratings.

When Mr Chidiac introduces himself as an oil and chocolate painter, most people assume they have misheard him.

In the past three years, the 36-year-old has conjured up dozens of works from pure chocolate - complete with edible frame, canvas and richly-coloured paint - and his portraits range from Marilyn Monroe to chat show host Oprah Winfrey.

His tantalising technique uses a rich blend of white chocolate and a range of simple food colourings.

Since his first work in chocolate in 2003 - a painting of sunflowers, with honeyed yellow hues fanning out from a heart of smooth dark chocolate - Mr Chidiac has captured the public imagination with his alluring, ephemeral creations.

"People stop and stare at my work, as if they have seen something truly different, something new," the artist said, who grew up between his parent's native Lebanon and Australia, and now lives and works in New York.

"They can't believe it is really chocolate and want to reach out and taste, just like when you look at chocolate sitting on a table," he said.

The appeal of Mr Chidiac's works, which are shown at chocolate fairs around the world, is such that they have to be cordoned off with stern "No touching. No tasting" signs, as organisers fight off constant requests to sample the paint.

While the paintings are fully edible - and a few have fallen prey to sweet-toothed art lovers - Mr Chidiac says they are not designed to be eaten, although he says he cannot resist licking the brushes clean as he works.

Each portrait takes between one and three days to complete and can last several years if kept in the right conditions, away from strong light and humidity.

Despite their relatively short lifespan, most of the chocolate works have been sold at auction to raise funds in support of child cancer patients in Australia and the United States.

- AFP