Sculpting Living Myc-Doh with Sasha Fishman

In this hands-on workshop, participants will sculpt Myc-Doh, a living dough that will grow into mycelium - the root-like structure of mushrooms. Mycelium is a sustainable alternative to traditional textiles and construction materials, capable of growing on organic substrates such as wood, cardboard, and paper.

Unlike standard methods that rely on molds, Sasha Fishman and Lera Niemackl have developed an innovative technique allowing for direct hand-sculpting and creative manipulation of this dynamic material.

Each participant will receive a bag of Myc-Doh – a custom blend of reishi mycelium, clay, and paper pulp—and explore how it interacts with different surfaces.

The workshop will begin with an introduction to mycelium’s role in material innovation, covering applications in sustainable design and construction. Participants will then engage in hands-on sculpting, shaping forms that can either continue to grow at home or be preserved as finished pieces.

This workshop invites participants to rethink their relationship with living materials, unlocking the potential of mycelium as a medium for artistic and functional applications

**Photo courtesy of Sasha Fishman, Some days I’m edible, 2023, Reishi mycelium, firewood, rye, wood, cardboard, Egg yolk tanned salmon skin, chitosan (Mycelium material developed in collaboration with Lera Niemackl)

Sasha Fishman is a sculptor and researcher based in New York. Her work explores marine biomaterials, toxicology and energy harvesting as points for critical analysis and mechanisms for sculpting. She was recently an Artist in Residence at Smack Mellon and a 2024 recipient of the Puffin Grant. Fishman holds a BFA in Studio Art from the University of Texas at Austin and an MFA in Sculpture from Columbia University, where she collaborated with scientific labs on salmon, fountains, and carbon capture materials.

Fishman has exhibited her work at Murmurs (Los Angeles), Below Grand (New York), Resort (Maryland), Hesse Flatow (New York), Bozomag (Los Angeles), ILY2 (Portland), The Jewish Museum (New York), and The Indian Ceramics Triennale (New Delhi, India). She has participated in residencies at Smack Mellon (New York), Art Ichol (India), Acre (Wisconsin), NAHR (Italy) and the High Desert Observatory (California). Fishman has presented her work and run workshops at Printed Matter (New York), Genspace (New York), Navel (Los Angeles), Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, CUNY Staten Island, SUNY Purchase, Carnegie Mellon, UCLA, UDenver, UColorado Boulder, Kenyon College, MICA (Maryland), Caltech, and CSULB.

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