Mari Koppanen wraps seating collection Fomes in traditional Transylvanian mushroom leather.
Furniture designer has resurrected a suede-like material, historically made in parts of central Romania from hoof fungus, to upholster a rotund stool and matching bench.
Fungi have long been recognized as survivors of ecological disasters due to their ability to adapt and thrive in adverse conditions. With the threat of climate change looming over the planet, Finnish designer Mari Koppanen believes that partnering with fungi may help us adapt to our changing environment. Mari has always been fascinated by mushrooms and her Master's project involved giving different mushrooms personalities based on their appearance, smell, and behavior. She even used amadou, a spongy material derived from Fomes fomentarius fungi, for her designs.
Mari traveled to Corund village in Romania, where she discovered a community of amadou artisans who have been using the material to make hand-sewn hats for thousands of years. Amadou, which has many spiritual and medicinal applications, has a slow-burning quality that allowed the first people to carry flames from camp to camp. The material also has enzymes that work to fight infections and has been used by some communities to ward off evil spirits.
Mari's collaboration with the artisans of Corund village led to her designing a three-piece collection with the female members of the community in mind. She created jewelry that would keep the bears away from them and plasters to help with the cuts that the men often received from mushroom hunting. Mari's latest project, Fomes, involved creating furniture inspired by the visual qualities of the fomes mushroom using amadou material. She has also partnered with the European Commission to raise awareness about the dying art of amadou craftsmanship.
Mari's work with fungi highlights the potential of partnering with nature to adapt to our changing environment. With the threat of climate change and the urgent need for sustainable solutions, we may need to turn to nature's survivors, like fungi, to help us navigate the challenges ahead.
