Today on Mushroom Hour we are graced by the presence of one of my favorite biophiliacs and artists -Jon Ching. Jon grew up steeped in natural beauty on the island of O’ahu, Hawai’i, which formed the foundation of his deep fascination with the natural and wild world.  A self-taught painter, Jon’s devoted art practice and detailed realism is inspired by the interconnectedness of nature.  While dedicated to the minute idiosyncrasies of flora and fauna, Jon’s work is a surreal imagining of what limitless wonders and combinations nature can produce.  New creatures and symbioses emerge in his meticulously rendered oil paintings, exemplifying the endless potential of life on Earth.  His work is often driven by his personal desire to find balance between the human and natural worlds, exploring themes of symbiosis and searching for connections, physical and metaphorical, across nature’s kingdoms. Highlighting man-made threats to the natural world are a regular theme in his work to raise awareness of and evoke compassion for the kingdoms of life. Jon’s ultimate hope is to inspire love and admiration for the universally unique beauty and intrigue of our world.   

TOPICS COVERED:   

• Childhood in Hawaii as Inspiration   
• Unlocking Biological Imagination   
• Powers of Observation   
• Impact of Becoming a Father   
• Slowing Down   
• Communicating Ecological Messages Through Artwork   
• Fungi Finding Their Way onto the Canvas   
• Navigating the Professional Art World   
• Gallery Shows   
• Materials, Process and Timeline of Creating Paintings    
• From Paintings to Murals   
• Future Projects   
• WTF NFTs   
• Finding Equilibrium with Natural Systems   

EPISODE RESOURCES:   

• Jon Ching Website: https://jonchingart.com/   
• Jon Ching IG: https://www.instagram.com/jonchingart/   
• Jon Ching FB: https://www.facebook.com/JonChingArt   
• Jon Ching @ Beinart Gallery: https://beinart.org/collections/jon-ching   
• Hericium erinaceus (AKA Lions Mane): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hericium_erinaceus