The project “9 Billion of Us”, carried out since 2021, was born out of a personal experience of lockdown and the absence of people. At that time, I was living in a new city that completely shut down. The streets became empty, relationships were suspended, and the everyday presence of another human being suddenly stopped being obvious. I missed people — so I began to paint them. First single figures, then dozens, then hundreds. In this way, a cycle was created in which I painted nearly 1,000 people — one per mille of the residents of Amsterdam, later residents of Dublin, as well as numerous local communities.
“9 Billion of Us” is a long-term artistic reflection on the contemporary human being — seen not as an isolated individual, but as part of a larger, shared whole. The project consists of thousands of small watercolor figures, each 10–15 cm tall. Every figure represents a real person. Painted by hand, with attentiveness and tenderness, together they form a collective portrait of society — diverse, fragile, and interdependent. Up close, the viewer sees an individual; from a distance, a structure resembling a social fabric emerges.
The project is an attempt to consciously use the potential of art to build meaningful social relationships and a culture of mutual respect — both locally and globally. In times of anonymous online hate and media narratives focused on bad people and their harmful actions, we forget about the millions of decent, kind individuals. We begin to believe that the behaviors amplified by the media represent everyday reality. They do not — they are only a small percentage. Through this project, I seek to remind us of kindness and human tenderness, to strengthen understanding and appreciation of one another, and to move from fear and alienation toward trust and openness. Caring for human connection becomes our responsibility — one that arises from caring for the world we live in.
Another essential value at the core of “9 Billion of Us” is honoring ordinary people who perform extremely important, yet often unnoticed work. Today, everyday work carried out for the benefit of us all is frequently undervalued in the social hierarchy, even though it forms the necessary foundation of our shared community — a foundation for which we should feel gratitude.
“9 Billion of Us” is not a project about ego. It is not a story of individual success. It is an invitation to look from a meta-perspective — from the perspective of the planet and the whole community — and to recognize and appreciate actions taken for the common good, both by others and in our own conscious choices.
If you would like your community to become part of this project — please get in touch by email: zuzannadembiec2@gmail.com
