DSYF X MANNYLOVE NO MIX UP

DSYF has partnered with independent Scientist and creator — Manny — on a capsule of apparel featuring the creators illustrative work.

As part of this project we had a conversation with the artist to share his perspective, journey, and to discuss the significance of responsibility as a community creative.

Q&A

DSYF: Each of us have such a unique journey to becoming an artist. Could you share a bit about your path?

MANNY: I’m 25 year olds and grew up in East London. I’m a British born Jamaican and I have a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in biomedical science. I teach people science online through experiments and demonstrations. My method of teaching is unconventional in terms of its style and tone of delivery. I break down scientific concepts in a way that is digestible and easy to understand. My main aim is to make science accessible to all, regardless of one’s background. As well as science, I’m demonstrating to people that your socioeconomic background isn’t a determining factor for your success. Great things can be achieved irrespective of one’s race, ethnicity or nationality.

DSYF to me means unity, respect, brotherhood and family. DSYF means doing unto others as you would have them do unto you. It represents the love that connects us to each other, to the Earth, to the plants/animals and the entire universe.

D: What inspired the videos

M: The inspiration for creating science videos came from the 2020 lockdown. During this period, students experienced disrupted and inconsistent learning which led to a significant gap in their knowledge, specifically for science. Being a lab technician in a secondary school, I observed this knowledge gap firsthand and knew that students required additional help. This is when I began to create science experiment videos to supplement the students’ knowledge and give them a greater understanding of scientific topics. 

D: How did you get into science?

M: Science was always my favourite subject at school, I knew that I would become a scientist one day since I was in my early teens. I’ve always been an innately inquisitive individual who asks a lot of questions, and I found that science answered a lot of these questions. This is one of the reasons why I was so drawn to it. There was also a particular science teacher in school who presented it in an engaging and exciting way, which also contributed to my passion for science. 

" I’ve always been an innately inquisitive individual who asks a lot of questions, and I found that science answered a lot of these questions. "

D: Who were your role models?

M: Growing up, I didn’t have any black scientists as role models because I was never taught about any. However, I’m aiming to create a shift in the way that scientists are represented in terms of race and nationality. It’s important that we teach students about a diverse range of scientists so that they will find it more relatable. If a child sees a scientist that looks and talks just like them, they will be more likely to pursue a career as a scientist.