Study of the River with Self-produced Mushroom Ink

I harvested ink-cap mushrooms (Coprinus spp.) in October 2023 in Haparanda, Sweden, during an art residency. I made ink from them using two different methods. Working with mushroom ink is an exercise in embracing ephemerality: the rich, inky swirls it produces on paper shift subtly over time, deepening in tone as the organic compounds oxidise. I used the ink to draw the waves of water, thinking about the River Torne — Väylä (the Passage), as it is commonly known in the Torne Valley. The river both separates and unites the borderlands of Sweden and Finland — Haparanda and Tornio. Every line of ink I place on the paper carries with it the water from the Tornio River and the memory of fungal life cycles — growth, spore release, decomposition. I see the ink itself as an active collaborator, its chemistry inscribing the passage of time onto the page.

Here are a couple examples of dravings I made in 2023