SPIDER PLANT SYMPHONY
by Mel Ohlinger
Research shows that fetal cells remain in a mother’s body long after pregnancy—sometimes for decades. Likewise, maternal cells can remain in a child’s tissues, including the heart, skin, and pancreas, creating a lasting biological exchange between mother and child. Even more fascinating, this exchange can connect siblings across maternal lines, weaving a quiet thread of shared genetic material.
From an evolutionary perspective, genes are immortal. Their “goal” is to survive and propagate. But as human beings, we don’t experience life this way. We don’t see ourselves as vessels for genes. We live as individuals, moved by specific loves and relationships—the bittersweet joy of watching children grow, the daily connections that make life meaningful. We are not simply carriers of genetic code; we are people bound together through care, presence, and love.
The underpainting of this work is a bodhisattva. It began when I learned that the Buddha had a son, Rahula. His very name means “fetter,” or obstacle, on the path to enlightenment. Rahula later became the youngest monk in the Buddhist tradition and achieved enlightenment himself. His story has shaped the Buddhist perspective that children can be both a hindrance to the spiritual path and a potential source of enlightenment. Offering one’s womb for new life may be a profound act of kindness—but it does not necessarily lead to enlightenment.
This tension between continuity and transcendence—between biology, love, and spiritual pursuit—runs through the painting. As Ann Druyan wrote:
“When we come closest to each other we can create new life forms that carry on that continuity that stretches back all those billions of years, and in them are the generations of human beings who have struggled. That is magnificent.”
The work wrestles with the beauty and weight of that truth: that through connection, we extend both our humanity and our history.
Side note: This is one of my most difficult works to name. No title has ever felt quite right.