While Inang was walking in a park near her home in Melbourne, she noticed succulent spores on autumn leaves and spring grass. The photographer decided to document these unique growths, which soon led her to think about the processes of decay and regeneration.
It has now been compiled into a book called fruiting bodyYing’s images glimpse a variety of common mushrooms from the ground. Her lens peers through blades of grass and up into the cavernous underbelly of growth, capturing their unique textures and colors in impeccable detail.
Ying uses the series as an opportunity to delve into ecofeminism and the relationship between productivity and fertility, a historically fraught connection when considering women’s presumed roles as wives and mothers. She explained:
Just like the female body, mushrooms are known and valued primarily for their reproductive functions. Beneath the surface, however, the vast network of subterranean mycelium is important beyond traditional visibility: in terms of care, knowledge, and reciprocity.
fruiting body Published by Perimeter Editions, you can find more information on Ying’s website.
