Charting emotion: What makes me happy

Your support helps us to tell the story

Support Now

Find out moreClose

In my reporting on women's reproductive rights, I've witnessed the critical role that independent journalism plays in protecting freedoms and informing the public.

Your support allows us to keep these vital issues in the spotlight. Without your help, we wouldn't be able to fight for truth and justice.

Every contribution ensures that we can continue to report on the stories that impact lives

Kelly Rissman

US News Reporter

Researchers have tried to quantify how happy people are by charting the emotion on an index. From Tuesday, it is the turn of the arts to explain happiness, with a new exhibition aiming to express the emotion through objects.

Celebrities from the arts, fashion and music worlds have contributed personal items to the Krug Happiness Exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. The donated objects are those which symbolise happiness for the famous: for fashion designer Bella Freud, it is a photograph of her late parents; the Pet Shop Boys' Neil Tennant chose a vinyl record; photographer David Bailey sees happiness in one of his own photographs.

The free exhibition, which runs from Tuesday for eight days, is raising money for the Royal Academy Schools. All the pieces on display are to be sold to raise funds. Other contributors include fashion designers Erdem, Manolo Blahnik and Vivienne Westwood, and the exhibition's co-curator Lady Amanda Harlech.