The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist uses hand-drawn data visualizations to map class inequality.
Data journalist and artist Mona Chalabi is addressing the silence surrounding economic status in her upcoming book, Ten Lives: How What We Have Shapes Who We Are (2026). The project organizes six years of meticulous interviews with anonymous subjects into ten characters representing specific economic classes. Using her signature hand-drawn style, Chalabi illustrates the nuances of wealth beyond the typical categories of working, middle, and upper class. The work includes reflections on her own financial struggles as a young journalist and the systemic nature of economic crises. Known for visualizations ranging from museum gender bias to global wealth inequality, Chalabi utilizes reporting and art to restore humanity to statistics. Her process involved recording an accompanying audiobook to translate these complex visuals into audio. The Iraqi-British artist insists on honesty regarding the commercial realities of the industry, noting that class remains an overlooked factor in creative and journalistic discourse.
Working creatives can use data visualization to make abstract systemic issues like class and wealth inequality tangible for a wide audience. Chalabi’s transparency about being paid for her work serves as a reminder that commercial goals and principled advocacy can coexist.
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