Self Portrait: Matrilineal investigates the artist's matrilineal heritage, exploring how genetic inheritance and environmental factors shape personal traits and physical attributes. The artwork delves into the nature versus nurture debate, referencing epigenetics to illustrate how environmental influences can affect genetic expression across generations.

The portrait features three preserved hearts, representing the artist’s mother and grandmother, symbolizing sacrifice, preservation, and continuity. Symbols of life, death, and transformation, such as scarab beetles and butterflies, are incorporated to emphasise these themes. Natural elements like grass and domestic objects further reflect the dynamic interplay between nature and nurture, underscoring how both biological and environmental factors shape identity and biological development.