2020
bronze with patina
A fairy ring forms when fungal mycelium expands outward beneath the soil, producing a visible circle of mushrooms at its edge. What appears above ground is only a temporary manifestation of a larger underground network shaped by growth, exchange, and decay.
This installation translates that ecological phenomenon into sculptural form. Cast in bronze and arranged in a circular configuration, the mushrooms trace the logic of expansion and return. At the same time, the work draws from the cultural and mythical resonance of Lingzhi in Chinese tradition, where the mushroom signifies vitality, transformation, and spiritual continuity. Myth here operates alongside biology, offering another lens through which circularity can be understood.
The turquoise patina and carved grooves evoke layered time, recalling tree rings and geological aging. Bronze introduces a tension between the fragility of fungal life and the endurance of metal, staging a dialogue between impermanence and monumentality. The ring becomes both ecological system and cultural echo, inviting reflection on the visible and invisible forces that shape life.