Rudi-Lee McCarthy, a 23-year-old Irish artist, has already achieved notable recognition in the early stages of his career. In 2023, he was named one of Ireland's top 50 young artists to watch, a testament to his promising talent. Building on this success, Rudi embarked on the innovative "Porto Aperta" project. This nomadic restaurant experience offered free dinners to the public while delving into investigative journalism on the stark realities of the European food production industry.

In addition to "Porto Aperta," Rudi has actively participated in esteemed artist projects such as the "EcoShowboat" led by artists Anne Cleary and Dennis Connolly, as well as "Distant Light from Future Stars" led by artist David Beattie. Behind the scenes, Rudi also served as the art director for the Science Foundation Ireland-funded Plant Science Festival, hosted at Ireland's Botanical Gardens.

Beyond his career as an artist, Rudi has a background in the culinary arts. He trained under his mentor, Colin Shipp, at the award-winning Boyne Valley restaurant "The Bective." This experience laid the foundation for Rudi's current artistic practice, instilling in him the values of efficiency and the character-building nature of hard work. Following his apprenticeship under Colin, Rudi worked in some of Ireland's top restaurants, including the 4-star establishment, the Headfort Arms, the favored restaurant of famous musician Bono, "L'Gueleton," and the highly recommended Irish restaurant "Library Street" as noted by The Washington Post. While Rudi primarily focuses on his art practice, he views his time as a chef as a means of legitimizing his art.

Rudi's current artistic focus revolves around Food Heritage, Relational Aesthetics, art, health, well-being, and social practice. His latest project "Salt," revolves around his immersive journey of eating, drinking, and cooking with the locals of Berlevåg. This endeavor aims to authentically represent the local community through a multifaceted approach, including gastronomical sculptures, video works, illustrations, and cookbooks.