Oksup Achvffa
Heritage and culture translated across mediums
After learning about the process of folding DNA origami, I was reminded of the traditional beadwork processes my aunt Sudahlia would share with me growing up. While I could never replicate the complex stitching patterns she weaved, I created this artwork to honor our heritage, and give back a necklace of my own design in my own biological medium.
DNA contains the information of our ancestors. What happens when we change its shape to show our culture? How does meaning change between mediums?
This artwork explores the translation of traditional Choctaw beadwork and symbolism into DNA origami— the process of folding DNA into specific shapes.
The diamond pattern, which represents the skin of the eastern diamondback rattlesnake, is an homage to nature. This pattern, when translated into DNA origami, is automatically adjusted by the DNA design software into half-diamonds. Half-diamonds symbolize the hills and valleys of the Choctaw homelands in Oklahoma, and often represent a journey through life’s ups and downs. Finally, when translated and synthesized as actual DNA molecules, the shape becomes something new entirely, begging questions of how culture and meaning are translated from and into our very DNA.
Original Design, Inspired by Choctaw Beadwork Collars
Iterations of the design for compatibility with DNA origami fabrication
Image of DNA origami
Installation as part of the Ethos of Abstraction in Biodesign Exhibition
This work was done as part of 4.315, Advanced Workshop in Artistic Practice and Transdisciplinary Research: Topics in Biological Arts, Ethics, and Automation (Fall 2024)