MYCELIAL SELF, 2023
by EVAN O’SULLIVAN
Mycelial Self: Sustainable Practices of Body Modifications and Mortality
This project is set in an alternate timeline where the effects of World War III have severely damaged the environment. In this timeline, the concept of beauty and fashion has evolved to become closely tied to the restoration of nature. Drawing inspiration from the history of the timepiece and its interpersonal significance, the project explores a new form of body modification jewellery that symbolizes the grieving process of "Little Deaths" in life. The jewellery is crafted from mycelium spores and bio scaffolding, and as the wearer experiences grief, the mycelium grows around the jewellery. Once the mycelium has been cured, the jewellery serves as a tangible reminder of the wearer's bereavement.
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As more "Little Deaths" occur, the wearer can continue to modify their body, ultimately creating a mushroom cocoon for their final passing. When the wearer passes away, the small inset metal tubes in the jewellery are filled with sunflower seeds, and the deceased is buried with more mycelium. This allows the body to decompose with the mushrooms, which consume the plastic and toxic waste of the body, while the sunflowers root into the soil and purify the environment.
The project's alternate timeline is conveyed through the history of Vogue Magazine, where this unique form of jewellery exists. Designed around the structure of the sunflower, the complex and luxurious adornment surrounds a traditionally unappealing object, illustrating the relationship between the concept of self and its response to the surrounding world.
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This project was created by EVAN O’SULLIVAN, as part of the Design for Discourse emphasis on the MA Industrial Design course at Central Saint Martins, UAL.
Currently exhibited at Westminster Reference Library 24 May - 14 June
Secure your place for public talk 11:00-12:30 on 15 June here.
Supported by
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