Tschabalala Self’s “Bodega Run” series, particularly the 2024 sculpture “Goya Can #1”, exemplifies her continued exploration of urban culture, identity, and everyday life through the lens of found objects and commercial items. In this case, she utilizes Goya canned goods as a focal point, creating a pyramid composed of ten cast and pigmented paper sculptures that reference the iconic Goya brand. The sculpture reflects her thematic engagement with quotidian objects and their cultural significance, particularly communities in urban settings. Through her bold and unconventional use of materials, Self transforms these seemingly mundane items into profound statements about identity, community, and survival, drawing attention to the socio-economic realities of the socio-economically deprived experience experience.

The Cultural Symbolism of the Bodega

The bodega, or corner store, holds a unique position in urban life, particularly in neighborhoods predominantly inhabited by Black and Latinx communities. It is not simply a place to purchase food or household items; it is a social hub, a space of cultural exchange, and often a lifeline for families in food deserts where access to fresh produce is limited. Self’s decision to center her sculpture around Goya canned goods—specifically black-eyed peas—invokes the bodega’s role in these communities, positioning it as a vital part of everyday life. Goya products, which have long been associated with Latinx households, are also staples in Black American kitchens, especially for those who grew up in urban settings where corner stores like bodegas are more common than supermarkets.

In “Goya Can #1*”, Self takes the concept of the bodega beyond its function as a store and transforms it into a symbol of resilience, community, and cultural survival. The pyramid structure of the sculpture, reminiscent of a stockpile or an altar, suggests a kind of reverence for these goods, elevating them from mere consumer products to objects of cultural significance. This elevation is essential to understanding Self’s approach to the intersection of race, class, and identity. Through her manipulation of materials—cast and pigmented paper—she mimics the appearance of mass-produced objects, yet the handmade nature of the sculptures speaks to the personal and communal labor embedded in everyday survival.

The Role of Goya and Black-Eyed Peas in the African Diaspora

Goya products, especially black-eyed peas, carry their own symbolic weight within the African diaspora. Black-eyed peas are often associated with the Southern U.S. and West Africa, where they have been cultivated for centuries. In the U.S., they are particularly linked to Black Southern cuisine, a legacy of the transatlantic slave trade. Eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day, for example, is a tradition rooted in African American culture, symbolizing good luck and prosperity for the coming year. By featuring Goya canned black-eyed peas in her sculpture, Self connects the commercial aspect of food with its deeper cultural and historical resonances.

In this way, “Goya Can #1” is not just about consumption; it is about memory, history, and the ways in which food becomes a vessel for cultural identity. The canned peas serve as a metaphor for the ways in which Black and Latinx communities have had to adapt and survive in hostile environments. Just as canned goods are often seen as a convenient solution to food scarcity, Self’s sculpture hints at the compromises communities must make in order to sustain themselves—both physically and culturally.

Materiality and Form in Self’s Work

Self’s use of cast and pigmented paper in “Goya Can #1” is a continuation of her larger practice of blending painting, sculpture, and textiles. Throughout her career, she has been known for her vibrant, quilt-like portraits that combine found fabrics with paint to create textured, layered depictions of cultural depiction of bodies female bodies. These works, much like “Goya Can #1”, challenge traditional notions of portraiture by incorporating everyday materials, underscoring the material conditions of urban life email in America. In her paintings, fabric serves as both a literal and metaphorical layer, representing the ways in which Black women must navigate a world that imposes multiple layers of oppression upon them.

In “Goya Can #1”, the cast paper creates a similar effect. The process of casting suggests permanence, as if Self is preserving these objects in time, much like how canned goods preserve food. This sense of preservation is key to understanding the work’s deeper meanings. In a world where Black culture is often commodified and appropriated, Self’s sculpture speaks to the importance of preserving the authenticity and integrity of Black identity. The casting process also allows for a certain level of abstraction, as the paper sculptures do not attempt to perfectly replicate the look of Goya cans, but rather, they evoke them in a way that blurs the line between the real and the imagined. This abstraction creates space for viewers to interpret the work on multiple levels—both as a commentary on consumer culture and as a meditation on the cultural significance of everyday objects.

Self’s Broader Exploration of Black Identity

Tschabalala Self’s work consistently challenges the viewer to reconsider the ways in which Black bodies and identities are represented in art and in society. Her figures are often exaggerated, contorted, and larger-than-life, resisting the historical tendency to objectify and marginalize Black women in Western art. In works like “Out of Body” (2015), Self uses fabric and paint to construct vibrant portraits of Black women that defy traditional ideals of beauty and femininity. These portraits are unapologetically bold, celebrating the uniqueness and complexity of Black female identity.

Similarly, Goya Can #1 resists the flattening of Black culture into commodifiable symbols. While the Goya brand is a familiar and accessible part of urban life, Self’s sculpture complicates this familiarity by transforming the cans into something more ambiguous and open to interpretation. The pyramid shape evokes associations with both abundance and scarcity, suggesting that these everyday objects carry meanings that go beyond their surface.

By incorporating elements of the bodega into her work, Self draws attention to the ways in which Black and Latinx communities have created spaces of resilience and self-sufficiency within systems that often exclude them. The bodega becomes a metaphor for survival in a hostile world, and the Goya cans stand in for the resourcefulness and creativity that have allowed these communities to endure.

Tschabalala Self’s “Goya Can #1” is a powerful meditation on the intersection of consumerism, cultural identity, and community survival. Through her use of everyday objects like Goya canned goods, Self elevates the bodega from a mere convenience store to a symbol of resilience, cultural exchange, and historical memory. The sculpture’s materiality—cast and pigmented paper—underscores the handmade, labor-intensive nature of survival for marginalized communities, while its pyramid shape invites viewers to consider the deeper meanings embedded in these seemingly mundane objects. In this way, “Goya Can #1” is not only a reflection on Black and Latinx experiences in America but also a broader commentary on the ways in which culture is preserved, commodified, and reimagined in the face of adversity.

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