Roshni Subba

Roshni has collated a series of photographs and numerous stories from her travels. She is quick to make conversations with the locals, even if it’s something as simple as asking how their day has been going. Every photograph for her is a reminder of those stories, conversations, and experiences. She ends up sharing these memories with her students. Roshni is a lecturer at the University of Calcutta.

This Could Be Recreation Too

The first image shows a lady carrying out one of her household chores. This action of removing the corn kernels from the stalks may not appear to be a grinding task but when the responsibility falls solely on one person, I bet it is. But as one can see in the second image, minutes later a few other hands join in to help with the chore. Later on, a couple of children also came into the frame because they too wanted to be a part of the conversation.

The second picture really drew my attention for a number of reasons. Seeing that the woman was by herself, maybe there was a sense of solidarity in wanting to help out with the task. But the labour itself turned into a recreational activity when everyone partook in it.  

It is worth taking time to reflect on these seemingly basic tasks that women perform everyday in order to understand their lived experiences.