“Of Petals, Pearls and Inherited Creatures” examines emotional inheritance and female identity through an exploration of familial object histories and the intimate bonds between women in my family. Informed by Galit Atlas’s Emotional Inheritance, Annabelle Birsch’s A History of Women in 101 Objects, and Lydia Yuknavitch’s Letter to My Rage, this work explores the active nature of inheritance. The work involves site-specific portraiture, archive imagery and embroidery, to reflect on inherited behaviours and emotional legacies from both my maternal and paternal lines. The project includes portraits of myself, my sister, and my mother, photographed in my parents' childhood homes, which serve as sites of ‘genetic memory’ and trauma. These homes and objects within them act as witnesses to past experiences and transmitters of material memory. Heirlooms like pearls and clothing are seen as multi-generational identity markers, embodying ideals of traditional womanhood. Motifs like roses, curtains and lace are employed to symbolize these ideologies and the shared female experience. Supported by Photo Museum Ireland, PhotoIreland RADAR Residency, and the Irish Arts Council, this project uses photography as an reflective tool. As I empathise with my own past, honoring my place in a shared history and acknowledging the active nature of inheritance.