Fungyo by Hyunji Seo

Hyunji Seo’s practice explores forms of communication between human and non-human systems, using fungi as both material and conceptual framework. Working across painting, text, and installation, she translates the sensory and relational world of fungi into formats accessible to human perception.​

Fungyo — a combination of “fungi” and the Korean word gyo (religion) — presents the life attitude of fungi through the framework of belief. While mushrooms appear above ground as fruiting bodies, they exist primarily as mycelial networks beneath the surface, forming systems of connection with other living organisms.

This mode of existence becomes a lens through which the work reflects on how connections are formed, transmitted, and understood.​

The installation brings together paintings made with pigments derived from ground mushrooms, applied onto textured textile surfaces, alongside a book produced from mushroom leather. The book narrates a fungal mythology, borrowing structures from human religious texts. Additional elements, such as dried mushrooms, may be placed around the work, introducing a subtle scent that accompanies the act of reading.​

Sustainability is embedded through the use of fungal-based and organic materials, emphasizing processes of growth, transformation, and decay. The work avoids fixed or extractive approaches, instead drawing from regenerative systems where material itself carries ecological significance.​

Engaging multiple senses — sight, touch, and smell — Fungyo creates a spatial and perceptual environment that shifts between direct encounter and symbolic translation, proposing a form of knowledge that is layered, relational, and continuously evolving.