Man-Made Mycelium 2 by Sophia Koot

Body piece / OnBody

Published: 09.12.2021

Man-Made Mycelium is series of sculptural neckpieces made from recycled and repurposed plastic produce bags. This body of work draws upon an abstract representation of the fungal root network, mycelium.
I focus on fungi as its role is as a recycling organism in nature, decomposing dead matter, transferring the nutrients back into the soil – creating an environment that doesn’t generate waste. Unlike fungi, we have not been successful in achieving such a lifecycle for the materials we have fabricated, resulting in excessive amounts in our environment.
By adopting various processes I have adopted a similar role to fungi. By revitalising plastic produce bags, I transform plastic bags into a unique material allowing me to create fluid neckpiece forms.