Irene Antonez is a Prague based Russian/Ukrainian artist and musician, who works in the genre of bio art and botanical/mycological illustration with a focus on fungi and microorganisms. She holds two Masters' degrees: in Future Design and in Fine Art. Irene draws inspiration from her microscopic research of fungi as well as mushroom hunting, ethnomycology, ethnobotany, old scientific illustration books as well as from her family history of " mushroom obsession". She uses a microscope to explore the invisible world of tiny organisms that we typically overlook. Irene believes that it’s highly important to emphasize the spirit or « soul » in each living being no matter its scale or size. In her artwork, Irene plays with combinations of various scales to show the beauty and importance of tiny, microscopic creatures to the World. She is constantly engaged in various mushroom-related projects all around the world. She has been a guest speaker at mycological events like the Hawaii Mushroom Conference and has her artwork displayed in exhibitions both in Prague and internationally.    TOPICS COVERED:    Growing up in a Mycophilic Culture   Family Love of Art & Music   Future Design   Ethnomycology    Psychedelics & Artistic Expression   Traveling through Microscopic Worlds   The Soul and Spirit of Microorganisms   Scale & PerspectiveFlow & Curiosity   Becoming a Fungal Ambassador   Inspiring Mycological Awakenings   Early Art Exhibitions   Immersion into Audio & Visual Artwork   Mushroom Foraging in Prague   EPISODE RESOURCES:    Irene Antonez Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/IreneAntonezArt?ref=search_shop_redirect   Irene Antonez IG: https://www.instagram.com/irene_antonez_art/   Mikhail Vishnevsky (inspiration): https://golden.com/wiki/Vishnevsky%2C_Mikhail_Vladimirovich-DZKYXW5   Rhodotus palmatus: https://www.mushroomexpert.com/rhodotus_palmatus.html    Hydnellum peckii: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydnellum_peckii   "The Invention of Nature" (book): https://www.andreawulf.com/about-the-invention-of-nature.html   "Entangled Life" (book): https://www.merlinsheldrake.com/entangled-life