Pamilia Gupta

Prof. Dr. Pamilia Gupta is a Professor at the Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research (WiSER), University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. Starting January 2023, she will also hold a Research Professorship at the University of the Free State, affiliated with the Centre for Gender and Africa Studies (CGAS). She earned a PhD in Anthropology from Columbia University. Her research focuses on Portuguese colonial history, Indian Ocean heritage, and visual cultures in East Africa, with a particular interest in photography archives like the Capital Art Studio in Zanzibar. Key publications include Portuguese Decolonization in the Indian Ocean World (2019) and Heritage and Design: Ten Portraits from Goa (2022). She explores themes such as colonial urban planning, affect theory, and transoceanic narratives through interdisciplinary lenses. Her current project examines Zanzibar's historical and cultural layers via the Oza family’s photographic legacy.

• Education: PhD in Anthropology, Columbia University
• Research Interests: Colonial history, visual cultures, heritage preservation, and transnational identities

Her work bridges anthropology, history, and art, emphasizing sensory and archival approaches. Upcoming projects include an edited volume on planetary hinterlands (2023).