Background
Ebola was discovered in 1976 but has only become a word known to so many of us since it's arrival in western Europe and the US this year. Making headlines across the media, we hear nothing about the individual cases of the thousands of people who have died in Africa. Of course we don't. We are all too tied up in the 'serious threat' we feel Ebola is to us because of several cases that have appeared, and many been proven false, in the western world. The people in the part of the world that have ready access to the best sanitation and health care are the only people that we care about. Is this right? Of course it's not! But it's the truth.
A powerful image and article that really highlights what is wrong with how we think about Ebola is available at World.Mic.
In response, I knit a baby cardigan for the 'birth' of Ebola in a developed country.
The disposable inner lining was made of gauzed bandages. The outer knit layer was made from a cellulose yarn that doesn't absorb any medicinal or antiseptic stains such as iodine.
Comparing the comforts of a Western baby to those who are 'out of sight and out of mind.'
I located my design in a mock campaign for the World Health Organisation and UNICEF. These two companies have collaborated with Artist/ designers and notoriously used striking visuals to get their message across