HEARTS4
THE
HEARTS4
PROJECT
©2025 Hearts4 Inc. All rights reserved a registered trademark and patent pending
MEET THE ARTIST
SPEAKING FROM THE HEART
Sandro Tchikovani's artistic vision is fueled by passion and innovation, blending the digital and physical worlds in harmony. As the driving force behind the Hearts4 project, Tchikovani's design philosophy prioritizes scalability and adaptability. This approach allows his artwork to effortlessly transition from large-scale sculptures to miniature, wearable jewelry pieces, retaining its core essence throughout.
WHAT IS ART?
Art transforms the ordinary into something profound, revealing the depths of the human soul. It brings abstract ideas to life, capturing fleeting moments of inspiration and infusing them with a silent yet powerful energy. With the power to uplift and transform, art connects us to something greater than ourselves, inspiring our collective spirit.
ARTIST BIOGRAPHY
Meet Sandro Tchikovani, a visionary artist known for his bold and innovative approach to creative expression. Born in San Francisco, he began his artistic journey in the city's vibrant streets, where he found his voice in the world of graffiti as Misk1 BA. As a multifaceted artist, he has explored various disciplines, including fine art, graphic design, and industrial design. Sandro's style is characterized by its boldness, innovation, and emotional depth, driven by a deeply personal and intuitive creative process. At just 19, without a university degree, he landed his first internship and junior design job at Foote Cone and Belding (FCB), a renowned advertising agency, thanks to his accomplishments as a graffiti artist. This launchpad propelled his graphic design skills, attracting top clients such as Levi's, Tribal Street Ware, HP, Snickers, and Atomic Snowboards. He later worked as an designer at Levi's Strauss and Co. headquarters in San Francisco and provided in-house art direction for OTCXN for over four years. With over 23 years of experience, Sandro's artistic expertise has been refined to perfection. His latest project, Hearts4, represents the culmination of his personal journey of self-exploration and growth, bringing his unique artistic vision to life.
GENESIS
What sparked the idea for Hearts4?
The concept for Hearts4 began in 2016, driven by my fascination with blockchain technology. At the time, I was designing a logo for my friend's startup, OTCXN, which utilized blockchain for a financial application in the forex space, enabling exchanges. I wanted to visualize this complex, invisible concept, so I drew a two-point perspective block using my design creative process. This simple exercise evolved into a segmented cube, and I felt compelled to add hearts to its front faces. Needless to say, hearts didn't fit the client's needs, so I flipped the page of my sketchbook and left it there. It wasn't until later, in 2019, when I had a career set back, that I rediscovered how cool it was. That's when I started developing it, pouring my passion into it, and bringing it to where it is today.
What's the significance of the heart symbol in your work?
The heart symbol holds a deep personal meaning for me. Growing up, I was surrounded by my mom's collection of heart-shaped objects, stickers, and cards. This included a lacquer box in the shape of a heart, which she kept personal things in. My father suffered from a hereditary heart condition that was worsened by a car accident before I was born. This was a huge topic in our household. It's hard having a sick parent, and especially difficult when it's your spouse, like it was for her. I believe her collection was a way of visualizing holding his heart and a symbol of her desire for it to be fixed. Maybe it was a subconscious way of channeling her energy toward a positive outcome with my father's surgeries, as he had had many. She always said, "I love hearts because they symbolize love." She loved Valentine's Day, making special dinners and doing craft projects with us when we were young. When I think of hearts, I think of my mom and the love she embodied. This connection inspired me to incorporate hearts into this project, positioning them on the sides of the cube I drew. This creative decision led to the development of the Hearts4 Block Object, because when I first made it, I thought of her first. I believe she's not the only one who loves hearts in the world, so it became the iconic symbol we now know as Hearts4. I also believed I had never seen this version in the world, and immediately I saw its potential in knowing it could be made out of anything and any size.
Why did you put the holes through the center?
It was during my exploration of the blockchain that I began visualizing what a decentralized network could look like, and how multiple blocks in a network could be interconnected. I imagined how they could be linked across all servers. The holes would facilitate chain link passages, passing through conduit openings and linking all the cubes in different directions, reflecting the dynamic structure of a decentralized network.
I visualized an ad campaign around this concept, conveying the values of transparency, liquidity, and trust. The ad's narration would accompany powerful visuals, such as a metal smith and glass blower crafting chain links and cubes amidst sparks and molten glass in a forging studio. You can hear the hammer hitting the steel links and the glass blower pulling his long tube rod out of the kiln, blowing molten glass into cube forms. Then, the company's name would appear on top, and the narrator would say, "We're shattering the current way business is done, one block at a time." Imagine three blocks hanging down on a segment of chain links, with water being sprayed on the hot glass blocks, causing them to dramatically crack and shatter.
This concept represents my dream opportunity in the crypto world, where art and design convey feelings of disruption. The holes in Hearts4 add a visual cue, symbolizing the conduit connections that laser beams, wires, or chains could make through the Hearts4 Block Core, acting like a transparency window that links its core to other blocks, creating a striking visual conceptual meaning.
Can you walk us through a brief introduction to the blockchain?
Imagine a network of thousands of computers working together to solve complex mathematical problems, known as "proof of work." This process can be thought of as solving a scrambled Rubik's Cube, where each server receives the puzzle and works to solve it. Once solved, the solution proves the delivery and becomes provable. Since the solution is stored on all servers, it can't be overwritten.
This decentralized network, also known as a "distributed ledger," is the underlying concept behind Bitcoin and other blockchain technologies. Here's how it works: when a document or financial transaction is created on the blockchain, the encrypted message is stored on all servers in the network, forming a "block." For instance, a "smart contract" for buying a car includes details like make, model, and owner. Once created, it's stored on thousands of servers.
The beauty of this system lies in its security and transparency. If alterations are made, a new contract must be created, forming a new block. This ensures that all changes are tracked and tamper-evident. The result is a highly secure, virtually unhackable system that offers peace of mind. With blockchain technology, you can trust that your provable contract can never be altered without your consent.
How does the blockchain concept relate to Hearts4?
I envision Hearts4 as a fusion of art, technology, and social impact. Interactive public art installations, similar to a wishing pond, would inspire donations to various initiatives and partner with brands to offer exclusive rewards powered by crypto and fiat digital donations. My dream is to leverage technology and art to drive positive change, and I believe this vision can become a reality with today's opportunities and cutting-edge technologies, powered by blockchain.
INTRO TO CRYPTO
How did your interest in cryptocurrency begin?
My fascination with crypto began in 2013 while developing a phone app. I met a potential tech co-founder who declined to collaborate, as his interest in mining Bitcoin far outweighed developing a phone app. He advised me to invest $1,000 in 10-12 Bitcoins, which were then valued at $80 each.
What was your first impression of Bitcoin at the time?
Initially, I was skeptical about Bitcoin's potential, questioning its use cases and whether it could be divided like a stock. My past experience playing World of Warcraft (2008-10) had left me wary, as buying Bitcoin felt similar to purchasing in-game gold, which was against the game's rules. Despite initial doubts, I monitored Bitcoin's price, witnessing its dramatic rise from $80 to $800, $1,200, $12,000, and eventually peaking at $22,000 before correcting to $18,000. Recently, it reached $120,000 and corrected to $84,000. This volatility highlights the risks of short-term investment speculation. However, I believe Bitcoin is the gold standard of crypto as a long-term asset.
My curiosity about Bitcoin led me to explore blockchain further. In 2016, I created the identity for OTCXN (Over The Counter Exchange Network) for my friend, seeing it as an opportunity to learn more and finally get involved. Notably, Bitcoin's price was around $400-$600 at the time. I became fascinated by blockchain's potential to revolutionize finance, providing a decentralized solution that enables trust, transparency, and efficiency while reducing costly transactions.
Did you do it?
No what a bummer I regret it and so today I'm much more open to investing and at the time $1000 was not possible. I had lost my home in the houseing colapse which had started in 2008. I found myself homeless living at my inlaws. So buying into this concept was just not possible. I had bought a few properties and done well. But I got ahead of myself and leverages to much so i could buy my home. Like many I failed and so investing in crypto was out of the question while dealing with my circomstance.
CRYPTO WORK EXPERIENCE
How did your experience working for OTCXN influence your ambition with creating Hearts4?
Well, that's a bit of a long story, but I hope you'll stick to the end because it does tie into the drive behind Hearts4. My experience with OTCXN, a company leveraging blockchain to solve FX trading issues, was a pivotal moment in my career, landing a full-time consultant job as an in-house creative director. OTCXN's goal was to remove intermediaries and utilize custodial services, aiming to guarantee seamless trading of fiat currency and lock in fast trade value fluctuations and costs while running through the chain of protocols to initiate trades. They were one of the first companies in the space to use blockchain to achieve this, even exploring potential partnerships with Ripple. As the company's art director, I oversaw the creation of all marketing collateral, including the logo, branding identity, brochures, website, business cards, and trade show presence.
This experience ultimately influenced my ambition with creating Hearts4, as it deepened my understanding of blockchain technology and its potential applications beyond finance. Combining this knowledge with my passion for art, I began to envision the possibilities of using blockchain to drive positive social change, particularly in philanthropy. Notably, this was before I had even heard of NFTs. My vision sparked an ambition to create a platform that leverages blockchain to inspire generosity and empower individuals to make a meaningful impact, while also developing my art concept on a museum level.
How did you approach the design process?
People often ask me what art direction entails. In essence, it's about crafting a visual language that sets a brand apart, communicates its core values, and speaks for the organization when no one is there to represent it. For OTCXN, this involved designing a distinctive logo, color palette, typography, and icons. But it didn't stop there. The brand identity we created also translated into physical goods, such as journal books, cups, mugs, and clothing, which were given away as gifts at trade shows. This allowed us to extend the brand's reach and create a tangible connection with our audience.
What was one of your favorite projects during your time at OTCXN?
That would have to be designing a custom gift for trade show attendees: a stainless steel fidget spinner with 6 prongs, laser-engraved with our logo. We produced thousands and gave them away for free at several events, generating an overwhelming response. The unique gift drew crowds to our booth, sparking conversations and curiosity about our brand. These were not the cheap, flimsy plastic ones. They were heavy and had smooth bearings making them almost endlessly perpetual. Long after the trade show, this fun keepsake, sitting on contacts' desks and serving as a conversation starter. It consistently proved to be a highlight during follow-up calls with new leads derived from trade shows, providing a tangible connection to our brand and a reminder of who we were.
How did this experience influence your subsequent work, including the creation of Hearts4?
This experience sparked a desire to create a thoughtfully designed conversational piece in the Hearts4 shape, approximately 3cm in size, made from chrome-plated alloy, as seen on the projects page of this site. Although it's not kinetic like a fidget spinner, its unique design can capture attention and spark meaningful conversations. My vision is for Hearts4 to become a standard, customizable gift that companies can use to share their brand story, recognize employee engagement with core values, and reward loyalty.
IMAGINING WHILE CYCLING
How did you refine the idea and decide to move forward with it?
As an avid recreational cyclist, I enjoy pushing myself to new distances and times. During these rides, I love thinking through ideas, and it was on these rides that I conceived the idea of developing Hearts4 using 3D modeling and virtual reality. With every pedal stroke, new ideas flowed - materials, sizes, shapes. While I don't ride competitively, I strive to improve my personal performance. My longest ride was a solo century of 108 miles, and at my peak, I averaged 80-120 miles per week. I'm neither the fastest nor the slowest – as I like to say, I'm slower than some, but faster than most. Those rides became a form of meditation, allowing me to tap into my creativity and explore different possibilities for the concept. This was like my office time, and it plays into my 80/20 approach to doing anything in life – 80% thinking and planning, and 20% implementing those plans.
How has cycling affected your health, particularly given your family history?
Cycling has played a crucial role in my health. My dad had a hereditary heart condition, which was exacerbated by a car accident before I was born. Just before the COVID-19 pandemic, I was diagnosed with an atrial fibrillation (AFib) issue. During a stress test and cardio fitness test, the technician discovered that I had a rare heart condition, similar to my dad's, which causes a bulge in the middle wall of the heart. Thankfully, my regular cycling has helped strengthen the surrounding muscles, reducing the strain on the affected area. I was told that it was not compromising my heart function. I believe COVID had affected my heart, causing an irregular heartbeat. This is also a huge reason why I'm so attracted to Heart Health as an initiative to collaborate with.
THE CREATIVE PROCESS
How do you balance art and design?
As someone who considers themselves an artist by nature but more of a designer by trade, I believe that art and design are intertwined yet distinct. Art is the spontaneous expression of an idea, driven by personal need and emotion. Design, on the other hand, is a deliberate attempt to shape people's perceptions and feelings. While both are essential, I think it's very important for artists and designers to understand the importance of balancing both aspects. Hearts4 embodies this fusion of art and design, creating something that resonates with people on multiple levels.
Can you walk us through your creative process and how you distinguish between art and design?
The creative process for me involves understanding the project, sketching, creating a hypothesis, researching to prove it, and then using that process to explain how I arrived at the solution. In the case of Hearts4, it began as a sketch and a design project, but as it evolved, it became more of a work of art. While design focuses on creating a visual product to sell, art allows for more abstract exploration and personal expression. Interestingly, because Hearts4 has had limited public engagement, it has served more as an art project for me, allowing me to illustrate my abstract thoughts. However, I'm also interested in making it marketable, which has required a more design-focused approach.
SCALABILITY
What role does scale play in your design, why is it important to you?
As a professional graphic designer, I believe that scalability is extremely important. In architecture, scale models bring massive ideas to life using a moquette to show it's potential. Differently, working in scale is essential in design, ensuring that a concept can thrive in various sizes – from tiny to monumental. A successful logo must adapt seamlessly to different sizes and contexts. Can it function as a subtle website favicon or make a bold statement on a billboard? The true test of a design's versatility lies in its ability to scale up or down without losing its essence. Imagine a logo that can be worn as a charm on a bracelet or transformed into a large-scale sculpture in a public park. That's the kind of flexibility and creativity I strive for in my design work.
What is it about scalability that attracted you to this project?
I imagine walking into a museum and peering through a giant version, with the face of someone special looking back at you. I believe the underlying magic, besides the heart and blockchain, that attracted me the most is the ability to endlessly scale this object. This versatility impacts how it can be used in various contexts, offering endless possibilities for application and interpretation.
POTENTIAL USE CASES
Can you give some examples of how you envision Hearts4 being used in different contexts?
There are many ways to utilize Hearts4, but some obvious applications include trade shows, as a gift, or a charity can use it as a reward token – a physical gesture to commemorate a donation value. Similar to Ring Day after a World Series, where fans, staff, players, and management receive different value World Series rings, so each value point can enjoy the achievement.
Can you elaborate on how charities might use Hearts4?
For instance, team owners get a diamond-crusted version, players get similar gold rings, the park staff gets them in silver, and the fans get them made in a silver tin alloy. I imagine a charity taking in substantial donations, where someone who donates at a top level receives an 18k gold version.
What makes Hearts4 valuable beyond its physical properties?
It comes in a box as a set, with a printed book featuring photos and journalistic content commemorating a limited edition, as well as a 3 cm version of Hearts4 in a rare material. The piece itself may seem like a useless object, but it's verified on the blockchain. The token holds value when paired with the physical elements.
How do you envision Hearts4 being used in everyday life?
I envision it sitting on a desk or coffee table, inviting conversation and sparking interest. It could also be sold on the secondary market, gaining value over time. Ultimately, because it's made from rare materials, it can be stored safely and become a valuable part of one's collection, like gold bullion.
What is the ultimate goal of Hearts4?
Hearts4 is designed to be a scalable vehicle that drives initiatives well beyond their initial launch, acting as an invitation to continue or participate again in future initiatives.
HEART HEALTH
What drives your passion for heart health and wellness?
I'm passionate about helping the world prioritize heart health, solve birth defects, and congenital heart conditions. I also want to empower people to prevent their conditions from limiting their lives, just like my dad's condition did. He passed away in 2000 after surgery unrelated to his heart, but his compromised health due to medication, lack of self-care, smoking, and a sedentary lifestyle ultimately led to his lungs failing.
How do you think we can make a difference in heart health?
I firmly believe that instilling good habits from a young age can make a significant difference. Rewarding people for prioritizing self-care and healthy habits could help avoid many issues. However, for those born with cardiac conditions, modern medicine needs to be empowered to provide the necessary tools and repairs. Gene therapy could also play a crucial role in reducing hereditary conditions. I imagine parents being scanned for gene traits and removing this ahead of conception, solving the passing of genetic defects. My great-grandfather died from the same condition my dad had at 48.
What do you hope people take away from your work and your message?
At first glance, I hope Hearts4 evokes emotions, inspires, and touches those who experience it. As they delve deeper into its meaning, I envision it sparking empathy and self-reflection, connecting their personal experiences with loved ones affected by heart disease. Ultimately, I believe art has the transformative power to drive positive change, and Hearts4 can serve as a unifying symbol, inspiring collective action to combat heart disease.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Do you see Hearts4 as exclusively tied to heart-related issues, or can it be applied to other causes?
Well, I think Hearts4 can work for or with other things. Because of my personal journey in this endeavor, I would say yes. I see this working for almost anything because at the core of any ailment – from brain tumors, cancer, poverty, famine – it all taps into our ability to empathize with others. This, to me, is the ultimate form of love. And after all, the effect of loss from any form of adversity, the hurt feeling comes from the loss of the thing you love, or the way that you empathize with someone else dealing with the loss. Remember, today, hearting an image on Instagram is the universal symbol of like, love, and approval of your content. So Hearts4 is that icon. Like I mentioned before, I'm just inspired by my personal journey in the matters of heart health, but this is up to the initiative and the community that chooses to adopt it.
What are your last thoughts you'd like to leave with our readers?
As I reflect on our conversation, I'm reminded that my intention with Hearts4 is two-fold. On one hand, I aspire to create a museum-worthy concept that showcases my artistic and design abilities – a selfish ambition, perhaps, but one that drives me. On the other, I hope Hearts4 becomes a symbol for change, inspiring awareness, donations, and action to combat heart disease, the world's number one killer. This cause is deeply personal to me, and I feel profoundly connected to it. While I may not have the ability to dedicate myself to becoming a heart doctor or starting a traditional organization, I'm excited to use my art, iconography, and ambition to design an invitation for people to become aware and donate towards helping solve this critical issue – one that claims more lives than even cancer. My hope is that Hearts4 will become a universal symbol, adding purpose to non-functional art and bridging the gap between art, technology, and social impact. I envision cryptocurrency playing a key role in this effort, enabling us to collect and distribute aid more efficiently, and support research, education, and medical aid. Ultimately, I believe that together, we can make a meaningful difference in the fight against heart disease.