Not everything that holds the heart is gentle. Some things take it—quietly, completely, and without resistance. This piece explores the tension between intimacy and control. The heart is not isolated, nor protected. It is contained—grasped within something that does not appear violent, yet offers no release. The gesture is firm, deliberate, and final. There is no struggle depicted. Only possession. The surrounding forms blur the boundary between what is organic and what is imposed, suggesting that what holds us is not always separate from us. What feels like connection can become containment. What feels chosen can become permanent. This is not a moment of loss. It is the moment after—when what was given no longer belongs to you. The composition places the viewer in an uncertain position, unable to determine whether the act is one of protection or control. That ambiguity is where the tension exists.
Each mark was burned directly into solid basswood using controlled heat, with additional depth and dramatic contrast achieved through torch shading work. No erasure. No correction. No reversal. Once the surface is altered, it remains altered. The same is true for what is taken—and what is kept.
This artwork is created entirely by hand from start to finish. The artist redraws the composition freehand for every burn—never traced, never mechanically transferred, never copied. Even when revisiting the same subject, each execution develops its own variations in line work, depth, and texture, ensuring every finished piece is a singular physical work.
Offered in a 12” × 18” format and available with White, Black, or Brown framing, "The Hand That Owns The Heart" invites profound contemplation on the complex dynamics of intimacy and control.
The Hand That Owns The Heart
Size 12” × 18”
Wood Type Basswood
Creation Time 25+ hours (estimated, reflecting the artist's dedicated process)
Process 100% hand-drawn and hand-burned, with torch shading
Framing Options White, Black, or Brown
Artist Hand-burned by Mohawk Wyatt using traditional wood burning and pyrography techniques.
Not everything that holds the heart is gentle. Some things take it—quietly, completely, and without resistance. This piece explores the tension between intimacy and control. The heart is not isolated, nor protected. It is contained—grasped within something that does not appear violent, yet offers no release. The gesture is firm, deliberate, and final. There is no struggle depicted. Only possession. The surrounding forms blur the boundary between what is organic and what is imposed, suggesting that what holds us is not always separate from us. What feels like connection can become containment. What feels chosen can become permanent. This is not a moment of loss. It is the moment after—when what was given no longer belongs to you. The composition places the viewer in an uncertain position, unable to determine whether the act is one of protection or control. That ambiguity is where the tension exists.
Each mark was burned directly into solid basswood using controlled heat, with additional depth and dramatic contrast achieved through torch shading work. No erasure. No correction. No reversal. Once the surface is altered, it remains altered. The same is true for what is taken—and what is kept.
This artwork is created entirely by hand from start to finish. The artist redraws the composition freehand for every burn—never traced, never mechanically transferred, never copied. Even when revisiting the same subject, each execution develops its own variations in line work, depth, and texture, ensuring every finished piece is a singular physical work.
Offered in a 12” × 18” format and available with White, Black, or Brown framing, "The Hand That Owns The Heart" invites profound contemplation on the complex dynamics of intimacy and control.
The Hand That Owns The Heart
Size 12” × 18”
Wood Type Basswood
Creation Time 25+ hours (estimated, reflecting the artist's dedicated process)
Process 100% hand-drawn and hand-burned, with torch shading
Framing Options White, Black, or Brown
Artist Hand-burned by Mohawk Wyatt using traditional wood burning and pyrography techniques.
