Aayushi Pitta











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Project 01-


Mycelial Musings: Embracing the Mushroom Lore in the East and 
the West



October 2023 - April 2024
BFA Communication Design Thesis 2024
Multimedia Collection:
Book, Poster and Zine Design, Fabric Motif
Design and Photography Mycelial Musings: Embracing the Mushroom Lore in the East & West is an ode to the beauty of mushrooms through a two-part book, a Risograph zine and poster, and a custom designed dupatta. By showcasing the mushrooms’ versatility and importance, the collection fosters a newfound appreciation for mushrooms even in cultures historically averse to them, focusing on my mycophobic country, India.

The two-part book of the collection includes Part 1, which gives a historical understanding of the mycology, their cultural significance in the East and West, and discusses not only their medicinal uses but the psychedelic ones too. Transitioning into Part 2 takes on a playful and experiential tone, delving into the culinary delights of mushrooms, my personal journey with fungi, and sharing anecdotes and public insights into the fascination with these extraordinary organisms.

Parsons BFA CD Thesis Site





Amidst the curious musings of mushrooms, a peculiar notion emerges that fungi arise from the remnants of dog urine, a thought that sparks intrigue and contemplation. “Kutrya-chi chatri,” as my grandma describes, was how fungi were perceived by many within India by our ancestors, the notion deeply ingraining itself into our history. Rooted in folk stories and ancient perceptions, this whimsical belief reflects the mysterious allure of mushrooms and the imaginative narratives around them.

As we unravel the misconceptions and embrace the world of mycology, there lies an opportunity for India, and others, to cultivate a newfound appreciation for mushrooms. Expanding our vast gastronomic horizons and promoting a more inclusive approach to the diverse realm of fungi.





 For those who might not know, Mycophobia stands for the fear of fungus and mold, and essentially a mycophobic person is someone who despises fungus in all aspects. While mycophilia is defined as the opposite of mycophobia and a mycohphile person, like me, is someone who enjoys foraging, cooking and eating wild edible mushrooms etc. Some of you here might identify with either, or none. 

The two part book of the collection starts with Part 1 titled: Unraveling the Mycelial musings. Part 1 gives the reader a historical understanding of mushrooms, their cultural significance worldwide, discussing not only the medicinal uses within the East and west respectively, but also the psychedelic uses as well. The book starts with a journey into the fungal realms- defining terms, overall significances and delves into the cultural symbolics of these species within the various cultures present in the east and the west. Moving further into a fungal glossary of both edible and poisonous mushrooms and explaining how and where to forage these, ending with their medicinal and psychedelic uses for those curious.





Part 2 of the book titled Embracing the Mushroom Lore transitions into more of a playful and experiential tone. Delving into the culinary delights of mushrooms, my personal journey with the fungal world, sharing anecdotes, and exploring public insights into the fascination with these extraordinary mushrooms. I conducted surveys with the public and questionnaires for the mycophiles within the mycology industry. These surveys and questionnaires was conducted for fun and to understand what the normal consensus or view on mushrooms is like within the public in the east and the west.

I again experimented with riso printing method to offer a whimsical and trippy version of the fungal glossary from part 1. The risograph colors bring in a fresh perspective of these species, as seen through the eyes of a mycophile (even the weirdest looking mushroom seems beautiful and enigmatic to mycophiles). Some of the spreads of the cookbook section of the part 2, which introduces the readers to Indian cuisine recipes that you could use mushrooms in as a substitute to meat considering 8 in 10 Indian population consists of vegetarian eaters, this would be a good way to help increase the usage of mushrooms within Indian culinary.









Using the mushrooms foraged I brought them home- not to cook, but to actually get spore prints out of them. Using the spore prints I then digitally altered and played with the scans to create poster print designs with information about the specific mushroom that the spore print is of. Also inspired by psychedelic visuals as described by many that have experienced. I created repetitive patterns out of the spore shapes to mimic the sort of visuals one usually thinks of mushrooms- most likely thinking of shrooms the psychedelic kind. Experimented with few more colors to essentially get the audience to view these mushrooms as beautiful and enticing, unlike how their appearances are usually described to be dirty. 


I also made a riso-printed folded zine that acts as an introductory pocket version. The zine gives a concise & brief peak into what the whole idea of the project is based on for people to get a quick understanding of it. The pocket zine gives a brief explanation of my love for mushrooms, how India is a mycophobic country despite mushroom being vegetarian produce, & having symbologies within mythology, the transition of the west from being mycophobic to mushroom-fanatics, and ending with the infamous Sylvia Plath poem about mushrooms standing for more than what it seems.


                                                                                                                   



Over the winter break I went back home to Mumbai, to explore mushrooms further which led to my next deliverable which is a dupatta. “Dupatta” is essentially a long shawl like fabric traditionally worn by women in India on kurtas or traditional wear. They are worn so often in daily life and also for special occasions by Indian women.  After creating a design for the print I chose to work along with Zardozi embroidery. Zardozi is a timeless Indian art that involves skilled artisans crafting intricate designs using metallic threads, beads, stones, and sequins. Zardozi, meaning "gold embroidery," showcases the rich heritage of India and a continues to be a symbol of luxury and tradition. 

Above pictures depict a friend of mine draping the mushroom motif print dupatta over her head and shoulders like how it commonly worn. By wearing this print in zardozi work especially it symbolizes her embracing mushrooms, as Indian women often only wear prints that highlights what they want to embrace and that they feel is tradition or luxury. 

Conclusion:
From folklore and skepticism during my grandma’s time, where mushrooms were feared to emerge from dog urine, to my mothers generations now where fungi are slowly being introduced in India for their umami flavor and versatility. They have gone through remarkable transformation but have yet to be fully embraced by many. Today we stand at the edge of a new era, where there is hope that mushrooms are celebrated as culinary treasures, enriching dishes with their earthy aroma and delicate textures. Hoping to carry forward the tradition, let us embrace the abundant uses of mushrooms with pride, honoring the journey from skepticism to celebration that has brought us here.