Rajyashri Goody on Photography, Family, and Dalit Food Politics

In an interview conducted during the 36th São Paulo Biennial's Student Week in September 2025, artist Rajyashri Goody discusses her practice, which centers on food politics within Dalit communities in India. Goody, born in Pune to a half-Dalit, half-English family, began making art in 2015 through installations and residencies, influenced by her background in visual anthropology. Her work often incorporates family photographs, exploring how images can serve as archives for Dalit experiences. She highlights the absence of positive Dalit imagery and uses her own family albums to counter dehumanizing narratives. Key series include 'Eat with great delight' (2018), 'Writing Recipes' (2016–present), and 'Is the water chavdar?' (2022/2025), which references the 1927 Mahad Satyagraha. Goody also combines ceramics with photography, printing images onto porcelain to create durable archives. At the 36th São Paulo Biennial, she participated as part of the Metta Pracrutti group, inspired by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar's concept of Manuski (human dignity) and a poem by Conceição Evaristo. Her installation 'When these scraps are taken away, what do you fight over?' (2025) features recipes, porcelain leaves, and breads on a bed of paper pulp made from religious texts and Brazilian books, addressing caste-based power structures.