Bleika Herbalist Healing Map | Kristjana S Williams

Bleika Herbalist Healing Map

The whole world gleams from a flamingo pink sea, the continents, territories, states and countries alight in snow-white and aqua. For this map, based upon Kristjana’s 3D AO piece, is suffused by the mysterious and the extraordinary - a celebration of nature’s incredible power to heal.  From the beginning of time, plants have been used not only to house and to feed, but for their medicinal magic. Soaring air balloons, mirrored beneath by a plethora of sea vessels, transport us from Greek and Roman based medicines in the West to the Ayurvedic and Chinese herbal medicine of the East; each casting their therapeutic properties across the global landscape. Richly verdant flora tumbles into the tableau, chlorophyll green breathing a surfeit of oxygen. The diminutive pansy is little known for its anti-microbial properties that can conquer many a common ailment. Apothecary jars and the tools of the chemist can be seen nestling within spiky aloe vera, its fronds laden with healing balm, and beaming marigolds, a tincture for regeneration. A leopard stands quietly by, his presence a symbol of strength and courage, while a pair of majestic white herons look to the horizon with hope for the future.