Ep. 140: Dropping Spores in Singapore & Bewildering Mycelium Creations (feat. Ng Sze Kiat)

Today on Mushroom Hour we the privilege to get to know mushroom cultivation artist Kiat. Kiat is the founder of Bewilder, a Mycological Design Studio based in Singapore. As the one-man R&D team behind this project, Kiat knows his science! For him, growing mushrooms is an intense and carefully tuned process that also blends in a fair bit of artistry and intuition. Before founding Bewilder, Kiat worked on a local farm cultivating mushrooms out of waste substrates. These years of experience and experimentation formed him into the self-taught mushroom cultivator he is today. As he explores ever more mysteries of growing fungi, he continues to bow his head humbly to the ways of nature.   TOPICS COVERED:Childhood Love of Nature Becomes a Mushroom Addiction   Mycophobia and “Success Culture” in Singapore   Showing What's Possible, Asking Questions    Mushrooms as a Tool for Doing Good   Founding Bewilder Design Studio   Communities vs Competition in Myco-Entrepreneurship   Myco-Composite Materials   Government Control and Separation from Nature     Seeking Out Native Strains for Food & Mycomaterials   Mycelium Lampshades   Being Humble, Recognizing Our Place in Nature   Relinquishing Control, Reconnecting to Greater Consciousness   Importance of Making Mistakes   Bewilder Commercial Projects and Research Areas   EPISODE RESOURCES:   Bewilder SG Website: https://www.bewildersg.com/   Bewilder IG: https://www.instagram.com/bewildersg/   Terrestrial Fungi (Inspiration): https://www.instagram.com/bewildersg/   Ganoderma weberianum (fungus): https://www.mycobank.org/page/Name%20details%20page/name/Ganoderma%20weberianum   Filoboletus manipularis (fungus): https://singapore.biodiversity.online/species/F-Basidomycota-000035   Mycena chlorophos (fungus): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycena_chlorophos