Anatomy of Heartbreaks

Heartbreak is a deep state of sadness, pain, and loss — something most of us have felt but often struggle to confront. In many cultures, complex emotions are kept private or dismissed, often at the cost of our mental health. For designer David Arturo Hernández Mora, this reveals a gap because in a culture focused on recovery and resilience, we also need to sit with heartbreak and honour its weight.

‘Anatomy of Heartbreaks’ is an emotional literacy tool that invites reflection on the experience of heartbreak and grief through different languages, introspection and embodiment. Drawing on participatory research, psychology and art therapy, it includes a set of cards that help users identify the reasons and bodily sensations behind heartbreak. Ceramic pieces, shaped by participants after using the cards, together with videos of this process, form an archive that gives form to private emotions and reminds us we are not alone.