Virology

Palmer was commissioned by Sir Andy Pollard to create six sculptures to mark the 30th anniversary of the Oxford Vaccine Group. Palmer's sculptures 'The Deadly Six' were made in collaboration with expert basket makers and willow weavers Jenny Crisp, Issy Wilkes and Mel Bastier.

The sculptures represent several of the most important vaccines in which the Oxford Vaccine Group (OVG) played a key role, including those for malaria, Ebola, typhoid, pneumonia, meningitis, and the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. The work was commissioned by Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, director of OVG, to mark the anniversary in September 2024.

Each sculpture is made from willow, a tree native to the UK and a material imbued with historical medicinal associations dating back over 3,500 years. To create the pieces, Palmer worked closely with the weavers, who interpreted the forms from scientific drawings, electron microscope images and sketches.

The sculptures are on show at the Museum of Natural History in Oxford.