A book about mushrooms might seem monotonous, or suited only to chefs and foodies, but the photobook Fruiting Bodies by Australian artist Ying Ang surprises with a stunning array of shapes and colours. A bright orange mushroom standing tall and a collection of blood-red fungi are contrasted with a series of black-and-white photos of fungi in different stages of development. Some are photographed in nature, others in a studio setting.  

And then there’s the use of the mushroom as a feminist metaphor – a generative force that challenges dominant narratives of fertility and the female body. Revisiting the book with this in mind, an extra layer unfolds. Some of these fruiting bodies resemble human forms, with a mushroom cap becoming something suggestive and sensual. ‘Just as mycelium persists unseen beneath the forest floor, feeding, connecting, and shaping ecosystems,’ the publishers explain, ‘women beyond fertility continue to shape society in profound ways.’ Ying Ang captures nature at its best, and the design of the book does it justice.  

LOTTE KLÖSTERS is the manager of both the in-house gallery and the bookshop of Foam Photography Museum. After working with textiles and contemporary art jewellery she has focused on photography for the last ten years. In the role of gallery manager she works with both new talent, curating the First Editions program at Foam, and experienced artists exhibiting in the museum. She organizes masterclasses about buying photography and gives advice about art purchases or expanding an art collection, to both private collectors and corporations. Her personal art collection mainly consists of portraits.