Heartworks

Stitching South African Stories into Everyday Life

Heartworks is a women-led cooperative in Cape Town, South Africa, transforming fabric into stories of resilience. For over two decades, Heartworks has connected Xhosa women and the Zimbabwean migrant community, creating a space where embroidery is a celebration of shared identity and a way for women to share their voices and sustain a livelihood. The cooperative currently employs 15 women artisans.

The cooperative’s work is as diverse as the lives of its artists. One series features South African insects embroidered with striking precision, celebrating the ecosystem’s beauty and role in everyday life. Another, inspired by Amanda Gorman’s poem The Hill We Climb, bridges African and African American experiences through intricate needlework. A third series, created during the pandemic, documents life in Cape Town, capturing a social archive of women’s COVID-19 survival. 

The artists at Heartworks work from home, balancing their art with the demands of caregiving and community life. The cooperative ensures steady income and independence for its members, many of whom are the head of household for their families. With every piece they create, these artisans combine small fabric appliqués with thread and personal creativity, producing work that connects buyers to the stories of the women behind it.

South Africa’s evolving cultural narrative, whether it’s embroidery depicting a Cape Town insect or a piece inspired by global movements for justice, is beautifully captured by Heartworks.