Mycelium Magic pt 1

One of the materials I have been experimenting with this week is mycelium, which is a combination of hemp and fungus which grows into formed shapes. It is used as a compostable replacement for polystyrene packaging and in the process of growing, it also absorbs carbon so a double winner ecologically. I bought some pre made pieces which I went on to carve and coat - you can see my preliminary experiments with those here ….

Today though I also hand sculpted some of my own mycelium object which will grow over the next week.

First everything had to be sterilised so the fungus didn’t get contaminated. The hemp mixture had solidified in the post so I used a blender to break it up and added flour and corn flour to make it more sculpt-able and to feed the fungus after its travels. I sculpted the mixture and wrapped it with foil to contain the shape and lower the air contact for growth. It will be stored at around 20 degrees for 4 days after which I’ll bake them ready for use!

I will report back in a few days with the results.