grow.haus is a collection of 13 objects made with mycelium. During a six-week residency at Lucky Break Studios in Oakland, CA, I grew, molded, and constructed small furniture and lamps using the grow.bio oyster mushroom and hemp hurd material. Using traditional ceramics slab building techniques and molds, I viewed the building process as a collaboration with the mycelium. I considered how the networked properties of mycelium as an organism contributed to its material properties as a building material with strength and lightness.
As a new media artist, this project was a departure from my normal practice. However, it was informed by my continued investigation into digital identity. In the series, I cast sculptural self-portraits in mycelium that represent the multiplicity inherent in digital identity. For me, mycelium embodies this concept to the fullest degree.
