"Stickers + Mycélium = Stickélium"
This simple equation produced an invisible mycelium made of artists, bookmakers and art lovers (you!), which is as incredibly diverse as the mycological inspiration, these stickers being the mushrooms of this metaphorical mycelium, growing and popping to the light for your delight.
The mushroom kingdom feeds on death (or turn ants into literal zombies) and yet sustains life like no other - mycorrhiza, the underground symbiosis between the mycelium and the plants, enables trees to exchange nutrients and information, like an Internet of Nature. It reproduces itself through any conceivable means, from asexual cloning to a record of 30.000 different sexes in one species. Its universally intriguing cultural presence, from fairy tales to the shaman’s starter kit, its incredible promises in biotechnology or its generous gifts of bread & beer to humans (thank you, yeasts!) are some of the elements that inspired the marvelous artists who grew their artworks in these pages. 12 women & 12 men whose technique, imagination and personal background form the utterly diverse, soulful and absolutely enchanting aesthetic ecosystem I was dreaming of when I started the mushroom artist hunt.
Enjoy!
- Jæn (art director/design/concept)
Featured artists:
Alexandra Zutto | Ossi Pirkonen | MLN (Mélanie Béguier) | Edward Neo | Hiné Mizushima | Jim Stoten | Emmanuelle Le Nouaille | Ooong (Ted Hwang) | Moki | Akinori Oishi | Yoii (Anna Johnstone) | Angrysnail (Nikita Solo) | Rob Flowers | Cream Team (Chelsea Agno) | Vlad Stankovic | Zarella Solis | Jæn | The Friendly Fungus (Anna Towers) | Cosmic Nuggets | Monika Mitkuté | MUTE (Nathaniel Rueda) | Charlotte Couderc | Alex Heywood | Aafke Mertens