The living surface

Be honest, have you ever really had a good look at that chocolate stain on your freshly washed jumper or the mouldy sandwich at the bottom of your bag? The colour combinations, structures and patterns are endless — entire worlds in themselves.

Lizan studies these worlds by examining shapes and height differences as well as the colours. She then takes this wealth of information and transforms it into drawings and patterns that form the basis for her woollen mould artworks. Lizan creates these by 'tufting', a technique that uses air pressure to blow a strand of wool through a stretched canvas. The length of the wool is determined by cutting it either earlier or later in the process. A perfect way to capture the infinite universe of mould. Lizan tempts you to look at the mould up close and to feel and interact with it.

Everything around you moves if you wait long enough. You could say that materials, just like you, are alive. But to observe this, a microscope is often required. However, there are also tiny lives, like mould, that can be admired with the naked eye.

Who says you need a plane ticket to go on a journey? Lizan’s mould artworks resemble landscapes. You can follow paths leading through swaying grass towards high mountain peaks then down again over boulders to a vast lake. "A one-way ticket to the mould universe, please."

There are an enormous number of different types of mould and scientists are still discovering new ones every day. The Westerdijk Institute in Utrecht researches mould and sees its potential to solve complex problems. Mould can be used to fight diseases, for example, and also has applications in agriculture and industry. Would you like to know more about this world? The institute has an enormous collection and you can visit its website here.