I have never been particularly interested in making art that simply matches the sofa.

I love beautiful interiors, of course. But when it comes to the things we choose to put on our walls, I've always thought they should do a little more than just fill an empty space.

They should make us feel something.

For me, that usually means colour, playfulness, optimism and sometimes something just a little bit silly.

That's really where Sugar & Spize comes from.

I think our homes should feel like us

There are so many beautifully designed homes that look absolutely perfect in photographs.

But the homes I personally love most are usually the ones where you can tell something about the person living there.

A strange little object they picked up on holiday. A photograph that means something to them. Colours they probably weren't supposed to put together. Books everywhere. Art that makes them smile.

Those little choices give a space personality.

And that's what I want my prints to contribute.

I don't necessarily want someone to choose a Sugar & Spize print because it perfectly coordinates with everything else in the room.

I'd rather they see You Are Magic and think of their child. Or hang Everything is Figureoutable above their desk because they need the reminder. Or choose a ridiculously colourful print simply because looking at it makes them happy.

To me, that's much more interesting.

Why so much colour?

If you've spent approximately three seconds looking around Sugar & Spize, you've probably noticed that I'm not afraid of colour.

I love unexpected combinations, wonky shapes, playful lettering, stars, stripes, little illustrations and colours that probably shouldn't work together but somehow do.

I don't begin a piece thinking about what will be safest or easiest to sell.

Usually, I start with a phrase, an idea, a colour combination or even just a feeling that I want to turn into something visual.

Then I experiment.

Sometimes the final print looks almost exactly like the idea I had in my head.

Sometimes it looks completely different.

Both are part of the fun.

Not everything needs to be so serious

I think adulthood comes with plenty of serious things already.

Our homes don't have to be one of them.

There is something lovely about owning something simply because it makes you smile. A colourful print. A funny phrase. A tiny piece of art that serves absolutely no practical purpose other than making a wall more joyful.

Kids understand this instinctively.

Give a child the choice between beige and twelve colours and we all know what's probably going to happen.

Maybe that's part of why I've loved creating artwork for children's rooms and playrooms so much. There is permission to be imaginative, colourful and wonderfully unserious.

But I don't think we should have to grow out of that.

Some of my favourite Sugar & Spize pieces are just as at home in an adult's bedroom, kitchen or office as they are in a playroom.

Joy doesn't really have an age limit.

Finding the Sugar & Spize style

When I started drawing my first few prints, I wasn't sitting down trying to invent a recognisable "brand aesthetic."

I was simply making things I liked.

But the more I created, the more a visual language started appearing on its own.

Colourful. Whimsical. Optimistic. Slightly imperfect.

And very often, covered in stars.

Eventually, I realised that was the point.

Sugar & Spize didn't need to look like every other art shop. I wanted it to feel like its own little world.

Today, that's still one of the things I care about most when I create something new. I want each print to feel different enough to have its own personality, while still belonging beside everything else I've made.

Art doesn't have to transform a room to change it

I sometimes think we put too much pressure on decorating.

Not every purchase has to completely transform a space.

Sometimes you just need one thing.

One empty wall gets a print. One boring corner gets some colour. One little phrase becomes something you see every morning.

And suddenly that part of your home feels a little more like yours.

That's what I hope my art does.

Nothing too serious.

Just something colourful, personal and made with heart, for walls that could use a little more Sugar & Spize. ♡

— Sufiyah
Artist & Founder, Sugar & Spize