Acrylic ink and India ink pen on watercolour paper.
42 x 52 cm
The scientific community’s discovery of fungi capable of digesting and breaking down plastic has given me optimism about the recycling crisis facing us. Research by Australian scientists, who have successfully used backyard mould to decompose polypropylene — one of the most resistant and persistent plastics — suggests the possibility of new, sustainable ways of addressing environmental waste in the future. The technology is still in its early stages but scientists believe it may one day be scaled to process thousands of tonnes of plastic each year.
Inspired by this knowledge, I have imagined the process of plastic decomposition through the lens of speculative biology and natural transformation. My work visualises the interaction between plastic-eating fungi and synthetic waste, exploring the tension between human-made materials and the regenerative potential of the natural world. It is a hopeful work, and I’m putting a face on a process that I can’t see yet.
Using acrylic ink and India ink pen on watercolour paper, I’ve created an imagined interpretation of fungi consuming and breaking down plastic. Through intricate forms, textures, and organic patterns, the work reflects both the fragility of ecosystems and the possibility of renewal through nature’s own intelligence.
Plastic-Eating Fungi: Shortening 1000 Years of Decomposition 2
Please note that purchased artworks must be collected from Quantum Brewery, Moruya, at 5:00 pm on 12 July 2026.
If you are unable to attend the collection time, please contact:
• Annette Kennewell (future@fungifeastival.com.au) for South Coast collection
• Kath Fries (kathfries@gmail.com) for Sydney collection
• Josie Cosgrove (dreampieces.info@gmail.com) for Canberra collectionRozalie Sherwood is an artist living in the ACT on Ngunnawal Land. She uses hand and machine stitch, as well as drawing and painting in her practice. Rozalie’s work favours abstract interpretations of concepts and ideas, using material and mark-making to create emotional and narrative depth. Preferring intuitive line-making over precision, she embraces and highlights the accidental, allowing spontaneity to shape the outcome.
Having worked in the fashion industry first as a practitioner and later as a teacher, Rozalie has developed a highly refined understanding of textiles. She draws on her familiarity with fabric, paint, and the tools of the textile trade to reflect on personal experience and communicate complex ideas. By creating pieces that embody the emotions generated by stories and lived experiences, Rozalie’s work becomes a vessel for narrative. Storytelling lies at the
heart of it and even when the narrative isn’t immediately visible, every piece holds a story.
@rozalie.sherwood