Terracotta Farmacia is a multidisciplinary land based art project – home to a medicine garden, small batch artisan apothecary and art studio.

The apothecary features a full spectrum of whole plant medicine, with a focus on herbal soap and hydrosols. I make all of the apothecary offerings in house by hand, from seed to bottle, in limited editions from season to season. I take care of our medicine garden in the same regenerative way my contadini ancestors did – with respect for the living soil and larger ecosystem – by not tilling, feeding the soil, and nurturing diverse densely planted polycultures. The menstruums I use are sourced directly from small ethical producers I have relationships with. Herbalism has been a part of my life from the beginning, it is how my family has always taken care of themselves and their communities. This work is a continuation of the ways I was brought up with –  growing food and medicine, preserving and transforming the harvest, saving and sharing heirloom seeds & the bounty, and being in service to the village. 

Rooted in a deep love of heirlooms, ancient artifacts, folklore and feminist fairy tales – my art practice is about preservation, subversion, and creating things to last. Each work serves as a record of a being, practice, or story arising from my lived experiences and the stories passed to me. My art is a way of keeping magic, resistance, and truths alive without overintellectualizing them or giving away the secrets. My work is in service to the dark mother, enchantment, and the great mystery.

I am a child of Sud Italian immigrants, my people come from Sicily, Sardinia, and Abruzzo.  I grew up in a matriarchal household in a diverse working class community and the love, camaraderie, and ingenuity I experienced in these spaces has deeply shaped who I am. I stand firmly in solidarity with all workers and people resisting their oppression and fighting for liberation worldwide. I operate outside the margins and am interested in telling stories that the establishment would prefer untold. Land is our source of love and life, we care for each other, our true power resides here.  My deep unwavering love of and connection to the land is the driving force of my life and work and I hope to help others remember how vital all of our connections with land truly are, as empire continues to sever this connection, enclose the land, and exploit our material existence.

My work with Terra is devoted to keeping the village ways of our radical ancestors alive, resurrecting dormant fires, and telling the stories that need to be told. 

Big Love,

Samantha Maria Blancato