This project is one of my favourite mycelium material art endeavours. The concept was simple yet captivating: to create a lamp that looks like a mushroom, made entirely from mycelium and sawdust. The project was conceived and completed during the 3rd Digital Naturalism Conference, held in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka.
The idea emerged from a casual discussion about the possibilities of mycelium materials. The phrase “a mushroom made from a mushroom” became the inspiration behind the project. We inoculated sawdust with pure mycelium cultures that I had previously isolated and tested for material production. Using a mold shaped like an idealized mushroom, the mycelium colonized the sawdust. After the material was fully formed, we removed it from the mold and dried it to preserve the structure. The final step was to add lighting, which we accomplished by installing a powerful LED light powered by a 5V battery. The setup was simple yet effective.
We showcased this art piece during the open days of the conference, attracting interest from the public, researchers, and artists. The project demonstrated the potential of mycelium biocomposites in art and design, sparking many creative ideas.
Following this project, I continued to experiment with different structures and mold-making techniques. I even embarked on a journey into 3D printing to create custom molds for future mycelium material art projects. I’ll likely share more about these explorations in a future post. If you’re interested in collaborating or learning more, feel free to reach out!