The thoughts, poems and photographs of an ecofeminist artist, Charlotte J Ward, who is in service of earth and women.
Charlotte J Ward is a France-based eco-feminist artist, in service of Earth and Women. Her background is in documentary and portrait photography with a Photography BA from the London College of Communication. Since 2020, she’s been exploring and weaving new elements into her practice, including somatic movement and menstrual cycle awareness.
I am in service of Earth and Women. A deep inner knowing I was reminded of during the third day of my bleed this month. A time, when if I am silent and attentive enough, visions arise from within me. Like whispers, they gently weave their way into my consciousness. Like a seed that is planted in the soil, they begin to grow from the fertile ground of my being.
I began my journey with self-portrait photography during the Spring of 2020. A time when the world was on pause, and when I was traversing a dark night of the soul. This practice naturally appeared as medicine in my life, as I slowly returned to my essence, from the shelter of the forest I was living in at the time. ‘Bloom’ was the first body of work that emerged out of this time, which eventually and very naturally evolved into ‘This Earth Body Is My Home’ – an ongoing exploration into the intrinsic sense of inter-being between the human body and the Earth body.
In times of climate catastrophe and ecological disasters, I use images as a doorway, weaving threads of life and deep intimacy between humans and our precious planet. Honouring her in all her beauty, bounty and wisdom, I wish to remind the viewer of this primal relationship. Our first mother.
Working with my own body as an instrument, I attune myself to her many expressions, embodying her shapes, forms and movements, and essentially remembering that we are made of Her. We are made of her soil, rivers and mountains. Our blood is the water that runs through her veins, and our breath is the wind that rushes through the trees. Our rage is the eruption of a thousand volcanoes and our joy is the sound of bird song at dawn. The lines and wrinkles that adorn our skin are the same as those that adorn the leaves, and the cycles that conduct this wonderful dance of life are reflected within our beings.
Held within the Earthbodiment of the womb.
I surrender there, I rest there.
Nestling myself just a little deeper into her embrace
like a foetus in her mother’s womb,
I surrender there. I rest there.
I heard her whisper calling me from above…
so I pushed a little harder,
and there I found myself…
the first rays of light stroking my freshly moulded skin
everything within me, bursting with new life…
and as my petals began to unravel
I bloomed into this world
as if for the first time.
I bow
Down on my knees,
I bow to your beauty
I bow to your resilience and strength
I bow to your softness…
With my forehead against yours,
My mind quietens as I listen.
I drink your words of wisdom,
as they flow into my veins and nestle themselves inside my womb.
I can feel the tears of a thousand oceans
run down my skin,
as I listen to them drop onto yours.
Beneath my feet,
I feel your body
Holding mine,
delicately
Nourishing me.
Mother,
With all of the love and reverence that lives within my Heart,
I bow down to you.
the first rays of light stroking my freshly moulded skin
everything within me, bursting with new life…
and as my petals began to unravel
I bloomed into this world
as if for the first time.
All artworks from The Earth Body is My Home. See the full series on Charlotte’s website. All rights reserved for text, poetry and images.
You can find Charlotte’s work through her website, charlottejward.com – or keep up-to-date with her latest news via her profile on our network page.
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