CANDYSPIKE

CandySpike is a collection of patterns for 2021 that represent the sequence of nucleotides for a certain novel zoonotic virus you might have heard of. I asked a genetic scientist friend to randomly select a tiny section of the viral genetic code for me (she plucked the first 1000 nucleotides from accession number MT649402.1 on genbank to be precise) and I got to work trying to make it beautiful...

I love that the code for just about all life can be broken down into 4 basic molecules. They have fancy sciencey names, but are abbreviated to A, T, C and G. Long chains of squidgillians of these molecules make the code for how living things look and work.

Turning the letters into colours makes it easier to read (and imo makes the basis for some lovely patterns). During this era of travel restrictions, I coded the nucleotide sequence using hues associated with some of my dream destinations: Majorelle Blue, Venetian Red, Nyboder Yellow, and Mediterranean Blue.

This, and a shed load more code, is the key that makes vaccines possible because the code defines the shape of the protein, and the spike protein is the bit of the virus that vaccines are “teaching” our immune systems to recognise. In this way the CandySpike collection is very much NOT a celebration of the devastating pandemic, but is instead a celebration of the elegant science which will one day deliver us from it.

I have used the CandySpike patterns to create collaborative products with other small businesses, resulting in a cohesive collection of homewares, gifts and accessories covering a diverse range of price points. Click on the images blow to read more about them.