Being an Appalachian woman and herbalist, I feel committed to empowering the women of my community through their relationships with the plants around them. This includes empowering myself by researching traditional Appalachian herbalism and learning from the many teachers, grandparents, and other members of my community. These women have a very intimate connection to the land and a beautiful and poetic way of communicating through plants and herbal medicine. I want to express my gratitude for the present and future connections with these soft and quiet voices of the past. My intention is to create the images in this series in collaboration with my mentors, teachers, and elders because they have their own histories, their own stories, and a connection to the Earth that we need right now. I am digging deeply into my personal relations with flowers, medicinal plants, and the connections I have with these healers.

Shauna Caldwell is an artist from Boone, NC. Her roots in Appalachia and her relationship with the environment inspire her, allowing her to create work based around themes of sacred relationships and transformation. She is also interested in using artistic processes that connect her to her home, like making paper and photographic emulsions using plants from the area.