‘Lovely Leopard’ (2024) Keepsakes contribution by Nicki Blackbeard in response to a mask by V.

What is the Heartworks Project?

Children make striking drawings as they express their thoughts, feelings and inner worlds so openly. 

A few years ago I (Nina) made the artwork below in response to a drawing made by V.  Some of you may be familiar with The Monster Project which works with a similar theme. 

Nina Torr, V’s Lion Mask (2017), Digital print on Hahnemühle, 16cm x 23cm

The situation we found ourselves in at the end of last year resulted in a lot of introspection.

We’ve kept a box full of our kids’ drawings for a few years. We decided to open the box again earlier this year and uncovered an archive of memories. When one looks at a child’s drawing one tries to make sense of their world.  We also project our own interpretations onto these drawings and believe what we want to believe.

I made another drawing based on one of V’s drawings a few months ago.

Nina Torr, Amazed to be back in the water again (2024), ink and gouache on Fabriano. Made in response to a drawing by V.

I started thinking maybe this could be a way for more people in our community to process difficult memories.

So here we are. Stephan and I invite you to create an artwork in response to, or in collaboration with a child in your life. We also open up a selection of scans from our own kids’ drawings. We hope that you encounter something meaningful during this process.