Living Wool: Co-Creating with Mycelium and Wool in Sustainable Practice

Abstract

This thesis explores sustainable material practices through the investigation of mycelium and wool as bio-based design materials. Motivated by the idea of material self-sufficiency, the research examines how discarded or overlooked resources can be repurposed in regenerative, locally rooted ways. Using an autoethnographic approach, the study combines hands-on experimentation with theoretical reflection over a five-month period that included an internship and visiting research, followed by extended post-research analysis from a post-humanist perspective. The work investigates the technical, cultural, and methodological aspects of combining wool with mycelium—a living organism—highlighting how this collaboration repositions the designer from passive material selector to active cultivator. Emphasising care, adaptability, and co-creation, the study explores how working with living materials transforms both process and mindset. Exhibitions held in Finnish Lapland provided insights into audience perception and the ethical implications of these materials while encouraging the imagining of future applications. Ultimately, the study contributes to emerging bio-art and sustainable design practices by expanding the material vocabulary available to artists and designers, and by promoting more reciprocal relationships between humans and nature.