The Hand Medal Project was devised by friends and artists Iris Eichenberg and Jimena Ríos to thank medical staff and caregivers for the sacrifices they were making to treat people infected with COVID-19.
Trained as a nurse, Eichenberg had the idea while stuck at home in Michigan at the start of the pandemic feeling 'helpless and frustrated'.
So she and Rios appealed to fellow artists, jewellers, and students around the world to make medals to a traditional Argentinian 'ex voto' design (ex voto are objects of devotion or gratitude offered to a saint or divinity).
Participants in the project get a hand-shaped template that's simple enough for anyone to make from any kind of metal.
Since the plan began in April, thousands of these medals have been made and distributed around the world. You can find her Instagram page here.
Photo: Supplied
