Signature series
Ulam Spiral
Mathematics · Prime distribution · 1963
- Original infographic and mathematical visualisations by Simon Tyler
- Featured in The Guardian · The Times · Elle Decoration
- Free UK delivery on every order · Worldwide shipping
In 1963, Stanislaw Ulam was doodling during a conference talk when he noticed something unexpected: numbers arranged in a square spiral caused the prime numbers to cluster along diagonal lines. Nobody had seen this before. This print maps 22,115 of them.
About this print
About this print
This Ulam spiral art print turns one of mathematics’ most striking visual patterns into a design-led work for the wall. More than 22,000 prime numbers are revealed within Stanislaw Ulam’s celebrated square spiral, creating an image that feels at once orderly, surprising and quietly hypnotic.
The print maps every number from 1 to 251,001 across a 501 × 501 grid, with 22,115 prime numbers highlighted within the spiral. Features such as twin-prime pairs and shifting prime gaps hint at the strange balance of rhythm and irregularity hidden in the number system.
The Ulam spiral is named after the mathematician Stanislaw Ulam, who discovered its unexpected prime-number patterns while sketching numbers in a spiral. His observation revealed clustering and alignments that are difficult to see in an ordinary list, opening up a new way of understanding number through image.
Seen this way, the primes become less like an abstract sequence and more like a landscape - a field of recurring structures, gaps and surprises. The result is an image that rewards both close study and everyday living, making it especially suited to studies, offices, libraries and other thoughtful interiors.
The Signature series
The Signature series
Signature is a collection of mathematical, scientific and infographic visualisations - prime number distributions, evolutionary trees, geological timescales, and other structures that become something unexpected when rendered at print scale.
Each piece begins as a data-driven computational process and is developed into a finished artwork through a combination of custom code and design refinement. The aim is not to illustrate mathematics but to make the underlying structures visible - to find the image that was always inside the data.
The series draws on fields including number theory, evolutionary biology, palaeontology, topology, and information design.
Paper and printing
Paper and printing
All prints are produced to order on 250gsm archival matte paper using pigment-based inks, chosen for colour accuracy and long-term stability.
Each print is rolled in acid-free tissue and shipped in a rigid cardboard tube, sealed for moisture protection, ready for framing on arrival.
Dimensions
Dimensions
Large · 50 × 70 cm · 20 × 28 in
XLarge · 70 × 100 cm · 28 × 40 in
Delivery
Delivery
UK: Free · 3-5 working days
Europe: €8.50 · 3-7 working days · No customs charges
USA & Canada: $8.95 / $12.00 CAD · 5-10 working days
Australia: $14.00 AUD · 5-10 working days
Rest of World: £14.95 · 7-14 working days
All prints are produced to order and dispatched within 1-3 working days. Orders placed before 5pm GMT ship the same day. You'll receive tracking information by email once dispatched.
Orders outside Europe may be subject to local customs charges on delivery - these are the responsibility of the recipient.
Returns
Returns
Returns accepted within 30 days. Email returns@axisophy.com with your order number and we'll provide return instructions.
Return postage is the customer's responsibility except where the print arrives damaged or there's been an error - in which case we'll arrange a replacement or refund immediately, no return needed.