Untitled (Heart Study) (2026) Original Oil Painting by Laura Mead

This painting explores the heart not as a symbol, but as a physical reality—fragile, imperfect, and relentlessly alive. Removed from the body and suspended against a quiet background, the heart becomes an object of contemplation rather than anatomy alone. Its exposed form reveals both strength and vulnerability, inviting viewers to consider the weight of emotional experience carried within an ordinary organ.

Loose, expressive brushwork and rich layers of red, brown, and gold blur the boundary between scientific observation and personal reflection. The surface appears bruised, luminous, and worn, echoing the marks left by grief, love, endurance, and memory. Small drips escaping from the form suggest movement, loss, and the impossibility of containing human feeling.

Rather than presenting an idealised image, the work embraces imperfection and mortality. It asks viewers to reflect on what it means to carry a heart through a lifetime—how it survives heartbreak, holds joy, and continues its quiet labour despite the scars it accumulates along the way. The painting serves as both a portrait of a human organ and a meditation on emotional resilience.

Details:

• Oil painting on Canvas
• One of a kind artwork
• Size: 40.6 x 50.8 x 1.5cm (unframed)
• Ready to hang
• Signed on the back
• Style: Impressionistic
• Subject: Still life