Sweethearts is a sculptural installation that reimagines the familiar Valentine’s Day candy heart as a confronting reflection on violence against women. Large-scale cement hearts reference the sentimental objects exchanged as symbols of love and affection; however, rather than carrying romantic messages, they bear phrases and language commonly used to dismiss, minimise, or overlook experiences of abuse.

Each heart represents a life lost to violence in Australia. Together, the hearts form a landscape resembling grave markers, transforming a symbol traditionally associated with love into a space of remembrance and mourning. The installation gives physical presence to the individuals behind the statistics, challenging the reduction of lives lost to numbers alone.

By contrasting the sweetness and familiarity of the Valentine’s Day heart with the harsh realities of abuse, Sweethearts examines the complex intersections of love, trust, possession, and violence within intimate relationships. The work draws attention to the language and attitudes that can contribute to domestic violence being dismissed or normalised.

Through this unsettling transformation of a symbol of affection into a memorial, Sweethearts exposes the tension between the cultural ideal of romantic love and the realities that can exist behind closed doors. The hearts remain both tender and confronting, holding space for the lives, relationships, and stories that have been irrevocably altered by violence.