Photographer Anita Rusin, based in Poland, is also an art therapist. Her project Salve Femina stems from a deep engagement with women’s lived experiences within patriarchal systems. Drawing from her personal and familial history, Rusin explores themes of intergenerational trauma and the shaping of female identity.
The photo essay blends the aesthetics of historical portraiture with modern self-portraiture, using her own image to center the narrative and amplify collective stories. Inspired by photographs of her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother—often the only images captured in their lifetimes—Rusin uses these archives as a starting point to interrogate how women’s roles and behaviors are shaped, controlled, and silenced.
Through Salve Femina, she not only critiques this inherited legacy but also honors the women who have shared their strength and stories with her. Her work becomes both an act of resistance and a gesture of praise, celebrating resilience and illuminating untold histories through a lens that is personal, empathetic, and deeply intentional.