"Petit Tomato" debuted in a small group show on domestic labor and foodways. Critics praised Kiyooka’s ability to find poetry in kitchen objects; viewers responded emotionally, often sharing family memories prompted by the image. The photograph has since been included in a limited-edition photobook of the series and reproduced in a culinary magazine accompanying an essay on seasonal cooking.
There is no ruler in the frame. Instead, Kiyooka uses a single grain of sea salt placed three centimeters to the left of the tomato. This grain of salt acts as the viewer’s reference point. When you look at the , you realize the salt granule is half the size of the tomato’s stem. This scale tricks the eye into feeling like a giant observing a microscopic world. Photo Sumiko Kiyooka Petit Tomato