This heart was my first organ sculpture! It was first created in 2021, and it's since undergone two successful surgeries that have updated its surfaces. I preserved the original shape, palette, and mycelial growth, but granted its chambers more dynamism and fullness, while adding a custom metal powder coated back to keep all of the fibers attached safely inside.
What I really worked on with this heart was creating something that would look like a striking anatomical heart from afar (against any coloured wall); but then, up close would retain a different sort of visual intrigue. Because this piece is inspired by magical realism, I've opted for a gradient that signals its surrealism. Its surface blends organic elements of post-human, mycelial, alien, biological, and botanical worlds.
"Purple Mycelial Heart" hangs from two firmly welded loops attached to its back plate, which has been stamped with my initials (JLH) and dated with its original date of creation (2021).
