We Get along so Well, 2023-ongoing

“I canceled the party, I really was too sick. All I could do to celebrate my birthday was take a walk in the forest. So I took my car to the rue Mon Plaisir and set off on my usual path. And suddenly there he was, laying on a bed of autumn leaves, patiently waiting for me to come by. We got along immediately."

On October 22nd 2022, I brought home a large tinder fungus. I had found it on the forest soil, already detached from the trunk it had lived on. To discover a released specimen of that size and beauty was rather exceptional. A few days later I moved him to my studio and we have been working together since.

Tinder fungi have been used as fire starters for thousands of years because they catch fire easily and keep smoldering for a long time. But they were also employed as drawing media . When the fresh white surface is scratched with something sharp, the dark tissue under the pores is revealed, resulting in visible lines and shading that become permanent once the fungus is dried. So it is no coincidence I felt drawn to this fungus, he became my generator for endless play.

Fomes Fomentarii are part of the large Polyporacea family, a class of saprophytes that play an important role in ecosystems. By decomposing and recycling dead material, they release nutrients into the soil. And that’s exactly what I decided to do too.

Through collages, cuts, copies and scans, I dissect, alter and reassemble again. The possibilities are endless.