I know complex math and the necessary operations (either "native" Python, or through NumPy). My question has to do with how to display complex numbers in a UI using wxPython. All the questions I found dealing with Python and complex numbers have to do with manipulating complex data.
My original thought was to subclass wx.TextCtrl and override the set and get methods to apply and strip some formatting as needed, and concatenating an i (or j) to the imaginary part.
Am I going down the wrong path? I feel like displaying complex numbers is something that should already be done somewhere.
What would be the recommended pattern for this even when using another UI toolkit, as the problem is similar. Also read my comment below on why I would like to do this.
As Brian considered my first comment good advice, and he got no more answers, I am posting it as an answer. Please refer also to the other question comments discussing the issue.

In any UI you display strings and you read strings from the user. Why
  would you mix the type to string or string to type translation with
  widgets functionality? Get them, convert and use, or "print" them to
  string and show the string in the ui.
Display complex numbers in UI when using wxPython