Guest Editor: Sweet Saba Candy x The Gramlist

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This candy story starts where very few do: in a museum gift shop. A few weeks ago, after a stroll through the Whitney in New York, we noticed a lacquered display of lollipops shaped like bright green eyes, front and center in the art behemoth’s boutique. A simple, “What are these?” to the cashier led to us going back into the museum to revisit Human Interest, the portrait exhibit which features corresponding candy created by Brooklyn confectioner Maayan Zilberman. Which, of course, led to a deep-dive down her Instagram feed into her pop-culture wonderland. Her background’s so interesting, we had to learn more about what she fills her own world with. Here, the Israeli-born creative shares what influences her.

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Maayan Zilberman is a Creative Director who previous to candy, was designer and co-founder of The Lake & Stars lingerie. Launched in November 2015, her new brand of candy named Sweet Saba (after her grandfather) can be found in seasonal pop-up locations, The Whitney Museum of American Art, and select stores nationwide.
Maayan was born on a Kibbutz in Israel, raised in Vancouver, Canada, and now lives and works in New York City.

Says confectioner Maayan Zilberman:
Instagram is what got my candy business started. For about a year I posted my drawings and candy projects I made in the kitchen (as art) then started receiving messages from random users, asking to order in bulk. The feeds I gravitate toward on Instagram are all people who see the world through an unusual lens, as though we were all normal people on another planet. Whether a food stylist on Mars, florist treating flowers like people, or a mechanic restoring cars like the best red manicure. While my candy’s setting, I usually take a look at what my friends are up to.

A little Maayan 101:
She’s a creative director who, previous to candy, was co-founder and designer of The Lake & Stars lingerie. Sweet Saba was launched in November 2015 and named after her grandfather. In less than a year, Maayan’s vibrant, humorous confections have popped up across the country, most recently in The Whitney and select shops. Also, rad: she was born on a Kibbutz in Israel, raised in Vancouver, and now lives in New York.