Irene Antonez is a Prague based Russian/Ukrainian artist and musician, who works in the genre of bio art and botanical/mycological illustration with a focus on fungi and microorganisms. She holds two Masters' degrees: in Future Design and in Fine Art. Irene draws inspiration from her microscopic research of fungi as well as mushroom hunting, ethnomycology, ethnobotany, old scientific illustration books as well as from her family history of " mushroom obsession". She uses a microscope to explore the invisible world of tiny organisms that we typically overlook. Irene believes that it’s highly important to emphasize the spirit or « soul » in each living being no matter its scale or size. In her artwork, Irene plays with combinations of various scales to show the beauty and importance of tiny, microscopic creatures to the World. She is constantly engaged in various mushroom-related projects all around the world. She has been a guest speaker at mycological events like the Hawaii Mushroom Conference and has her artwork displayed in exhibitions both in Prague and internationally.   

TOPICS COVERED:   

• Growing up in a Mycophilic Culture   
• Family Love of Art & Music   
• Future Design   
• Ethnomycology    
• Psychedelics & Artistic Expression   
• Traveling through Microscopic Worlds   
• The Soul and Spirit of Microorganisms   
• Scale & Perspective
• Flow & Curiosity   
• Becoming a Fungal Ambassador   
• Inspiring Mycological Awakenings   
• Early Art Exhibitions   
• Immersion into Audio & Visual Artwork   
• Mushroom Foraging in Prague   

EPISODE RESOURCES:   

• Irene Antonez Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/IreneAntonezArt?ref=search_shop_redirect   
• Irene Antonez IG: https://www.instagram.com/irene_antonez_art/   
• Mikhail Vishnevsky (inspiration): https://golden.com/wiki/Vishnevsky%2C_Mikhail_Vladimirovich-DZKYXW5   
• Rhodotus palmatus: https://www.mushroomexpert.com/rhodotus_palmatus.html   
•  Hydnellum peckii: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydnellum_peckii   
• "The Invention of Nature" (book): https://www.andreawulf.com/about-the-invention-of-nature.html   
• "Entangled Life" (book): https://www.merlinsheldrake.com/entangled-life