Photo courtesy of Tom Hoitsma.
Preston Hollow neighbor and artist Tom Hoitsma draws inspiration from the October 2019 tornado for his new metal sculpture series.
The tornado that tore through the neighborhoods in 2019 left destruction in its wake. One of the streets affected was Hoitsma’s in Old Preston Hollow. After a walk with his family the next morning through the debris, he witnessed the true effects of the wreckage. One family stood in what used to be their house, huddled together. Hoitsma saw firsthand that they had survived against the odds and could rebuild together.
“We have all seen images of this kind of destruction in the media, but to walk the neighborhood the next morning and see the destruction with my own eyes was completely surreal and deeply disturbing,” Hoitsma said. “That moment got me thinking about how humans are so resilient. We see this again and again from every corner of the world. Events in our lives can destroy our neighborhoods or break our hearts, but somehow, we are not defeated.”
It became his mission to take any mangled materials he could find and create something new and beautiful. Through his work, the sculptures symbolize that even though hearts can get bumped, bruised, and battered, they can still be full of hope and joy. The pieces themselves include bursts of color that create an artistic centerpiece for any room.
“This work, born of tragedy and loss, is an examination of how we are able to create joy from unimaginable heartbreak, and the unstoppable resiliency of the human spirit,” Hoitsma said.
The first few abstracted “heart-shaped” metal wall sculptures were from the tornado’s debris. However, Hoitsma also uses his own metals to mimic the original scrap he saw in person. The pieces are constructed of aluminum, automotive paint, and are 100% weatherproof.
For more information about pricing and painting details, visit his website.
