Emily Marie Miller Coan drew inspiration from a range of sources, such as the Unicorn Tapestries (c. 1495–1505), Tarot cards, Renaissance festivals, Magic, religious ceremonies, and the books Marriage, A History (2005) by Stephanie Coontz and The Classic Fairy Tales (2016), edited by Maria Tatar. Caliban and the Witch (1998) by Silvia Federici played a significant role in forming the narratives. The book examines how the transition from feudalism to capitalism impacted women, denied a wage, confining them to the unpaid labor of raising children, caring for the elderly and sick, excluding nurturing their husbands or partners, and maintaining the home. This was the ‘housewifization’ of women, reduced to a second-class status where women became totally dependent on the income of men. The rise of colonialism and patriarchal forms intersected with the witch-hunts to oppress and demonize women.

Miller uses fairytales or storytelling as a vehicle for reflection on power dynamics and Ownership. Through the lens of the feminine experience, the artist‘s psychological narrative centers around the complexity and continuous transformation of the Human Experience. In a departure from her previous body of work, the protagonists are liberated, self-aware and focused on collaboration over competition, healing over harm and production over destruction. The newly-introduced vibrant colors heighten the fantastical situations and subvert the erotically-charged undertones. Miller’s colonies of women are surrounded by mountainous landscapes populated with millefleurs and medicinal herbs specific to the northeast region of the U.S. They partake in bacchanalian celebrations brimming with cakes, wine and music. In this safe space, the women help each other out of corsets, brush one another’s hair and even help to cut open mouths so the women can speak. While caring and healing are ever-present, there are hints of melodramatic undercurrents. “It’s like there’s a pain in finding your voice and speaking your truth, but it’s beautiful and liberating.”, says Miller.