Statistics

Statistics present us with raw numbers—just figures on a page. But when these numbers are placed in context, they begin to tell stories. Yet even in relation to one another, numbers remain abstract. It is only when they are connected to human values and lived experiences that they evoke emotion. Numbers can stir our fears or calm our anxieties. They can push us to act, or they can numb us. But without context, stripped of meaning, numbers manipulate our emotions.

In my work, I aim to confront these emotions by reconnecting raw numbers with tangible material. I want to experience numbers—not just as abstract data, but as something more visceral, more human. Through the act of working with my hands, I begin to internalize these numbers and understand them in a different way.

In this piece, I’ve strung used teabags between two emergency button boxes. Each teabag represents one woman who has been raped. The statistics are stark—on average, 115 women are raped every day. I’ve broken this down into smaller intervals, choosing a specific time frame to make this number more tangible, something I can emotionally and physically engage with in the moment.

Now, the number is visible. It has become a reality we cannot ignore. This is not just a statistic—it is an emergency. I invite you to witness it. And, in witnessing, I urge you: whenever you see, hear, or feel someone being mistreated, do not stand by. Press the emergency button.

Another work on numbers and its visibility is presented in the ongoing work Fashion Revisited