Hannah Emefa Afi Azinogo
the artist
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana
Hannah Emefa Afi Azinogo is a mathematician from Ghana who works on applying computer vision techniques to measure total burn surface area in injured children.
the artwork
Wotsɔ ka blae le pikselwo me
Ewe - Strung in pixels - 2025 - Plastic beads, thread, cardboard surface - 20.4 cm × 19.6 cm
10 hours - 39 minutes - 40 seconds
audio commentary
What can a bead teach us about data, collaboration, culture, and care? This art piece uses beads to represent pixels, the fundamental unit of an image, to depict an African child with burn injuries. Rooted in Ghanaian tradition, beads symbolize connection, just as data, when brought together, gains meaning. This work reflects my journey as a Ghanaian biomedical data scientist and highlights the need for collaboration between clinicians and technologists to shape better, context-aware healthcare.
Hannah Emefa Afi Azinogo
mathematics in Ghanaian culture
In Ghanaian culture, kente weaving reflects mathematical thinking through its structured patterns and symmetry. Each design follows a precise sequence of colors and shapes, much like binary code or algorithms in computer science. The repetition, abstraction, and logic in kente patterns mirror the foundations of programming and data structures, showing how traditional art forms naturally embody computational concepts.