After many months of creating, researching and marveling, the time has come – my exhibition “Medicinal Mushrooms Through the Human Lens”
will open on October 25 at Herbarium Officinale in Vienna.
What began with a cup of chaga tea has blossomed into an entire artistic journey.
I warmly invite you to meet the mushrooms in their painted form, to taste mushroom teas, to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the Herbarium – and to share this special evening with us. ✨
You’ll find all the details below – I’m happy to see you there!
Warmly,
Vera
Medicinal Mushrooms Through the Human Lens
Oil Portraits – An Exhibition Exploring the Fascinating World of Healing Fungi
What might mushrooms look like if they had a face?
What stories would they tell us – of healing, of connection, of a knowledge rooted deep within the earth?
These questions have guided my artistic exploration ever since my own unexpected encounter with the fungal world began.
Vernissage
🗓️ Saturday, October 25, 2025 | 6pm
đź“ŤHerbarium | Hoher Markt 5, Wien
🕕 6:00 PM – Doors open
🕖 7:00 PM – Exhibition opening with a talk from medicinal mushroom expert Mag. Eva Fauma
🕗 7.30:00 PM – Guided tour through the exhibition
Join us to discover the fascinating power of medicinal mushrooms, taste mushroom teas, and be part of an inspiring gathering.
How Fungi Found Me
It all began with a gift: chaga tea from a friend. As I brewed it, it released its wonderfully earthy scent – and I felt as though the whole forest had entered my home.
Much later, I stumbled upon a video about medicinal mushrooms.
It sparked the idea that these beings might be far more than silent forest dwellers – that they hold remarkable healing powers and may offer support for a wide range of ailments.
Soon after, I discovered reishi spores.
As they melted on my tongue, I was suddenly overcome with a feeling of pure joy – I burst into wholehearted laughter.
The mysterious realm of mushrooms had opened itself to me.
This was followed by an intense engagement with the world of medicinal mushrooms.
I attended seminars, went on mushroom walks, and began exploring their healing properties and appearances with growing fascination.
I was deeply moved to discover these precious healing fungi in our native forests.
One moment in particular stayed with me: I was on a mushroom walk, wandering through the woods without much expectation of finding anything – it had been a dry summer – when I suddenly stood before a mighty oak trunk, embraced by a giant maitake.
Maitake means “dancing mushroom” in Japanese – and so I danced with joy, having stumbled upon what many experienced mycologists search for in vain for years.
In the Atelier with Amanita Muscaria, the Fly Agaric Lady
Each painting became an inner dialogue – an attempt to make visible the unique soul, the essence and the healing power of a mushroom.
From the extraordinary life cycle of cordyceps, known for enhancing vitality and endurance, to the mysterious fly agaric, whose power I’ve experienced in ceremony, to the multicolored turkey tail, used in natural medicine to support cancer treatment – each of these mushrooms tells its own story.
I’m delighted to share them with you – and to explore together the fascinating world beneath our feet.