Featured Artist: Louise Saxton

Louise Saxton is a Melbourne-based artist who gives new life to old materials.

By gathering vintage lace, doilies and embroidery, Louise creates delicate artworks that celebrate nature, memory and home. Her practice is a gentle collaboration with the unknown makers of these textiles, honouring their craft while creating something fresh and contemporary.

Heart Garden

"A human heart motif has become a garden filled with the exquisite hand-work of many anonymous makers and also some belonging to family members of friends and acquaintances. I thank them all for their contributions and dedicate this work to them."

Louise Saxton

Heart Garden, 2013
Reclaimed needle work, lace pins and nylon tulle
Donated through the Cultural Gifts Program
St Vincent’s Art Collection

Heart Garden was created by Melbourne artist Louise Saxton as part of the St Vincent’s Hospital artist in residence program at Caritas Christi Hospice, Kew in 2013. The residency program was part of the Mission of St Vincent’s Melbourne which is also referred to as ‘a mission of the heart.’ The artist responded to this idea when creating her work.

Louise created this artwork from reclaimed needle work which was then meticulously reshaped into a new form; a beautiful heart shaped garden. She stated that “the Heart Garden grew out of time spent in the garden at Heide Museum of Modern Art during my exhibition in the Project Gallery in 2012. 

It was in this garden that the original owner and art patron, Sunday Reed had planted a love-heart shaped garden in memory of a friend. "I was inspired to imagine a different kind of garden in the shape of a human heart, filled with embroidered flowers made by anonymous needle workers, which I have collected in opportunity shops, or been given by friends and family over the past seven years.” Louise adds.

Since Heart Garden was completed and donated to SVHM, it has greeted patients, family members and staff at the entrance to the Heart Centre, in the Healy Wing, Fitzroy. The beloved work speaks to our collective heart; one work created from pieces made by many hands. A reminder of the heart focused Mission of the hospital that connects every day with its community.