Eileen Roscina
Grow Slowly Toward the Light
Lightboxes, Vellum, Pen and Ink, Acrylic
2025
This speculative series meticulously illustrates the branching growth-patterns of mycelium—the vegetative part of fungi buried under ground. The vast network is primarily concealed out of our sight; mushrooms are merely the fleeting visible reproductive body of these colossal organisms. These root-like hairs network virtually all of earth’s flora, often only centimeters below our feet. The network works in symbiosis with plants which use mycelium to generate electrical impulses and chemical warning systems to communicate, transfer nutrients and water, even recognize and favor their own kin.
These mycelial networks of sustenance and communication closely mirror the neural networks of the human brain. Layered vellum symbolizes atmospheric perspective as physical and emotional distance. This series of lightboxes aims to invert the narrative paradigm, bringing both mycelium and our experience of loneliness to the surface—to uncover the unseen. Portraying mycelium as a symbol of resilience, these artworks address mental health, the importance of connection and complex kinship.