“Mycomorpheus”
Here is my latest commission, a hand-embroidery for the new President of the British Mycological Society, Professor Sarah Gurr. “Mycomorpheus” is the title of the piece, evoking the dreamlike, shapeshifting nature of all things fungal, and their mythological power.
The dense, sculptural stitching is in wool and cotton floss on a background of pure silk in very palest green, to suggest the forest light. The fungi seemed to develop minds of their own, surging forward into three dimensions even when that had not been quite my plan. I like the quiet, unpredictable dynamism here.
The piece took 164 hours of hand stitching, but by this time I had become so fascinated with fungi, that I then made a key to identifying the species in my picture. This took the form of a hand-sewn concertina book, with covers of fungal leather,. The leather was sourced from a laboratory in the Netherlands where they are growing it from mycelium. It is wonderful material for stitching, and I hope it becomes more readily available soon.
Pendragan Art Studio 