Heather Golinko (HEGO) is a self-taught ink artist and sculptor based in Nashville, TN. Her work draws deeply from a unique background that bridges fashion and medicine - two worlds she once occupied professionally. After working in fashion design for Donna Karan in New York City and later as a surgical physician assistant at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, Heather found a compelling intersection between these disciplines in her artistic practice. Her work explores the harmony of form and function, from the elegance of design to the complexity of cellular structure.

Her latest collection, Beyond the Surface, reflects on the layered beauty found in both human expression and biology. Society values shape and depth - both in the way we present ourselves and in the very makeup of our being. Heather’s work invites viewers to consider how everything, from couture to anatomy, is connected through intention and structure. The collection challenges us to find meaning in the details we often overlook.

Inspired by her mother and sister’s backgrounds in woodworking and acrylic art, Heather began her creative journey by blending inherited craftsmanship with her own evolving interests. Her dual education in fashion and medicine is evident in the thoughtful interplay of texture, structure, and palette across her pieces.

Heather meticulously drips and paints ink onto synthetic paper, creating shapes that flow organically of their own volition. She melts them with a soldering iron - guiding them into sophisticated, collaged formations. Heather’s work is finished on hand soldered backgrounds comprised of hundreds of intricate holes and hand drilled into panel. The result is a sculptural mixed media process that feels both meticulous and organic. Her work celebrates the grounded yet intricate nature of cellular structures, reflecting the quiet complexity that underlies all life and design.