Project Room: Broken Hearts

RHODES is excited to present Broken Hearts by American artist Zoe Hawk. About Having previously featured in the gallery’s 2025 group exhibition Storytime , this is the first time the artist has exhibited a solo exhibition in the UK. Bringing together five original paintings, Broken Hearts explores the complex experience of girlhood, examining feminine identity, adolescent anxiety, and the search for belonging. At first glance, the paintings appear sweet and familiar: candy-coloured, nostalgic vignettes of girls brushing their hair, camping, or enjoying a theme park ride. The scenes evoke a distinctly 1950-60s sensibility, with their analogue activities and seemingly uncomplicated view of childhood, removed from the complexities of the digital age. On the surface, the works celebrate the naivety of adolescence and the simplicity of girlhood. Yet, as the viewer spends time with the works, a sense of unease begins to emerge through small details Hawk paints into these wholesome scenes. At times embodying innocence and curiosity, and at others confronting uncertainty and fear, the series explores both the wonder and heartbreak of coming of age. A swan boat carries one apprehensive girl towards a dark, mysterious tunnel, while a group of Girl Scouts, surrounded by a cold landscape, collectively build a fragile bundle of kindling, holding a tiny, hopeful flame of light. The figures inhabit self-contained worlds, acting out intimate dramas with bold backdrops that feel theatrical and surreal. Their uniform skirts, knee-high socks, bright dresses, and Peter Pan collars become costumes of feminine identity. Suspended somewhere between childhood and adulthood, between fairy tales and the dark realities of womanhood, the girls act out an intricate play of longing, companionship, and discovery. Their stories invite viewers to reflect on the fragile, transformative moments when innocence begins to give way to experience, and identity is shaped as much by uncertainty as by hope. Zoe Hawk (b. 1982) grew up in St Louis, Missouri, and received her BFA in 2005. She completed her MFA in 2011, and has since exhibited nationally and internationally, including FREIZE LA, as well as several fashion-orientated collaborations with brands such as Zara. Her work has been included in publications such as New American Paintings, ArtMaze Mag, Plastik Magazine, and JOIA Magazine. Read more Toggle Painting