Ophiocordyceps Unilateralis (2022)
Ophiocordyceps unilateralis is an insect-infecting fungus also called zombie-ant fungus that alters behavioral patterns of ants in the Camponotini tribe.
Spores from Ophiocordyceps unilateralis attach and breach the ant’s exoskeleton, growing inside to manipulate the brain and limbs, forcing the ant to attach to a warm humid location where new spores may thrive.
The ant dies, the fungus feeds on the rest of the corpse, and a stalk grows from the ants head, releasing new spores to continue the cycle.
My fascination with this fungi and the life cycle of the zombie ants inspired my creation of the Ophiocordyceps unilateralis knit garment.
The entire piece is made from recycled yarn and was assembled on a knitting machine.
Marine Organisms (2021)
Animals that thrive under pressure of the immense depth of the ocean, but look like squishy blobs on the surface. They die without that immense pressure
This garment and performance asks “How do humans thrive/die under pressure?”
Rat Hat
Urban animals like the grimy rat, yet the subject matter an albino rat is extremely rare and often only found in domesticity as a pet.
This headwear piece had me question how the rat is a ‘survivor’ ? And how a creature often considered a pest and undesirable can be so resilient in a heavily polluted environment (sewers and tunnels of the city)