Faculty of Design

Graphic Design

Kerina Liu

Data Physicalization - Manifestation

A project visualizes suicide statistics in Hong Kong from 2000 to 2019 through wearable objects. Using population data, I calculated annual suicide numbers and translated them into beads:Each large bead = 100 peopleEach small bead = 10 peopleData from: https://csrp.hku.hk/statistics/https://www.worlddata.info/asia/hong-kong/populationgrowth.phphttps://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL?end=2019&locations=HK&start=2000

“Many suicidal individuals harm themselves, often by cutting their wrists. The red beads against the skin, the subtle sharpness of the wire, mimic the sensation of blood flowing down the wrist. It's meant to remind people to care for others and listen.The red glass beads symbolize lost life and blood, their shimmering transparency is like precious things vanished. The wire is soft yet slightly sharp when worn, symbolizing the fragility of life and the discomfort of self-harm. As viewers wrap the bracelet around their wrists, each person wears it differently, because everyone's life journey is unique. The bracelet sits inside a black jewelry box. Opening it feels like facing a heavy burden.”