For my project, I chose to create three-dimensional plants with significance in the medical field because I wanted to highlight how nature plays an important role in healing. I chose three plants–Scutellaria (Chinese skullcap), Salix alba (White willow), and Echinacea (coneflower)–each for a personally relevant reason.
Scutellaria is used in traditional Chinese medicine, which has ties to my heritage, and was often used in my family growing up.
Salix alba, or white willow, is a classic example of how natural compounds led to pharmaceutical drugs like aspirin.
Echinacea is native to the eastern United States and commonly found in places like Cleveland,
where I am living.
Together, these plants represent the blend of cultural, scientific, and regional influences that shape our understanding of health.
I considered many different mediums for this project, but ultimately chose French beading because I wanted the process itself to hold meaning. French beading is a method where each glass bead is individually hand-strung onto wire and twisted into shape. I was drawn to this process because of its slow, repetitive, and detail-oriented nature. This process demands patience and attentiveness, cultivating qualities that I aspire to uphold in my future practice as a physician. I also see a metaphor in the medium itself: just as each plant I created is derived from individual beads, many aspects of modern medicine are derived from natural remedies, such as aspirin from willow bark, digoxin from foxglove, opioids from poppy, and paclitaxel from the pacific yew tree.
I hope this piece inspires the audience to consider the value of nature and tradition in medicine. This project also reflects my broader interest in the interaction between science, tradition, and nature, and how we decide what knowledge to carry forward.