Underland, Hannah Bestley Burt

In the intricate world beneath our feet, a vast network of mycelium (the vegetative root-like structure of a fungus) flourishes, forming the unseen backbone of our ecosystem. Mycelium serves as a communication network for plants and trees but also as an active participant in nutrient exchange, illustrating its own agency within the ecosystem. It plays a significant role in “farming” trees, highlighting how its mutualistic relationships benefit others to better sustain itself. Sprouting fruiting bodies of fungi, such as mushrooms, represent both the decomposition of old systems and the quiet persistent growth that often thrives in the wake of destruction. Through a series of woven wall hangings, blooming slime moulds, and soft sculptures, Hannah Bestley Burt invites us to celebrate the uncanny beauty of this overlooked form of life—platforming the unseen, the tiny, and the often misunderstood understory of nature.

With an enduring focus on fungi, Hannah combines basket weaving, loom-based constructions, and embroidered embellishments, creating a body of work which explores profound connections and symbiotic relationships. By employing techniques of double and triple weaving and then bending and stretching the wool, she crafts meandering filaments and fusing networks that echo the growth patterns of mycelium. Soft sculptures are created through coiled basket weaving methods, drawing inspiration from the shapes and patterns of fungi and other non-plant, non-animal organisms. Each piece allows art and nature to merge. It strengthens themes of connection, transformation, and regeneration in the natural world.

Fascinated by interconnectedness, Underland reveals how mycelium operates as a complex organism in its own right and serves as a powerful metaphor for community. Just as mycelium forms intricate colonies that support and sustain life, the essence of these relationships is captured through Hannah’s poetic organic forms. The delicate threads symbolise unity, reminding us that our actions contribute to a larger collective. We are invited to consider the parallels between fungal networks and human society, urging reflection on the ever changing nature of our own relationships and the impact of our actions on the world. This prompts us to examine how society can persist, grow, fracture and repair throughout our daily lives—a reminder that we are all part of a larger system, bound together by the threads of life.