Kalena Marshall Garcia
“good with a camera”

Projects
You Don’t Look Puerto Rican
COMPHET
Learning Solidarity 1 & 2
Arroz y no Gandules
Domino
Sustainable Printing
Video Work
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Arroz y no Gandules


Arroz y no Gandules, 2022
Series 1, 2, & 3

Food has always been a fundamental way for me to connect with my Puerto Rican heritage—whether it was cooking alongside my mamá or receiving tin trays of arroz y gandules from my titi. Inspired by Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Can series, I sought to replicate the idea of mass production by creating multiple prints of GOYA cans, a brand deeply embedded in the Latine community.

In recent years, GOYA, a Spanish-owned company, has faced criticism within the Latine community. While many Latines share cultural ties to Spain due to our colonial histories, I want viewers to consider whether GOYA's presence is simply a continuation of modern colonization. The company profits from the cultural significance of its packaged goods, while many of its factory workers are Latine. These products are often stocked in local tiendas owned by members of our community—further entrenching the brand within our daily lives. The cans used in this project were purchased from my neighborhood tienda, reinforcing this connection.

For this work, I mimicked the look of old GOYA signage, reminiscent of the faded and sun-bleached advertisements found on the sides of bodegas. By recreating something so deeply cherished in the Latine community, I invite viewers to reflect: Does consuming these products truly connect us to our indígena and Afro roots, or does it perpetuate a different narrative? What impact does our continued support of GOYA have on the environment? Does the company reinvest in our communities, or does it merely extract from them? As descendants of our ancestors, what is our responsibility? Are we empowering or undermining our own people by upholding this narrative?

GOYA has been positioned as a cornerstone of Latine identity—but at what cost?

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Arroz y no Gandules, Series 2
Diágolo 365: New Rhizomes
Fleisher Art Memorial, Philadelphia, PA