The Anatomy of Pain is a large scale, multidisciplinary sculpture created in collaboration with researchers from the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology. The piece visualises the inner architecture of the human knee joint, transitioning from the degraded tissue of osteoarthritis to the structure of healthy cartilage. Standing at two meters tall, the sculpture invites viewers into a magnified anatomical landscape gdzie scientific insight meets emotional experience. The work was awarded a prize by The Royal College of Pathologists for its innovative merging of art and medical research.
The sculpture traces the evolving boundary between degeneration and recovery, using anatomical form to embody the lived progression of disease. The knee, often taken for granted in its function, becomes a site of structural vulnerability and transformation. The work confronts viewers with the invisible architecture of pain—an internal deterioration that is rarely seen yet widely felt. By bringing the microscopic damage to a monumental scale, the piece stands face to face with patients, making visible what is normally hidden within. It reframes the body not just as a biomechanical system but as a bearer of memory, tension, and quiet resilience.
inflamed synovium
healthy synovium
The installation included a participatory element in which patients, researchers, doctors, and artists were invited to annotate the sculpture with their associations, memories, and emotional responses to illness. These marks became a visual dialogue, transforming the sculpture into a site of exchange and shared understanding. In giving space to personal reflection and collaborative interpretation, the work moved beyond representation and into a form of healing. It became a space where knowledge and empathy intersected, offering a surface for solidarity as much as for insight.
