Decay is the title of the research project Anna Bera initiated in the second part of her design residency at Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft in 2017. Here below she shares the thinking and making processes that she adopted for the crafting of two new wooden sculptures: Burr Casket and Font. 

Decay studies how those transformative processes in wood, initiated by specific type of fungi could be interpreted as a creative force (rather than destructive one). Shape, color, texture and even function of my two new wooden sculptures stem from corresponding characteristics of three fungi: Daldinia Concentrica (King Alfred’s cake), Chlorociboria Aeruginascens (green wood cup), Kretzschmariadeusta (brittle cinder) associated with three stages of oak decay: white oak, green-stained oak and bog oak.

For both sculptures chose to work specifically on cedar and oak burr, which is a wonderful type of wood malignancy. I then I used the ancient Japanese technique of cedar charring technique shousugi ban as a preserving method. When fire (or burning) is associated with wood, can be seen as destructive, however when carried out in a controlled manner, it does not damage wood, but makes it resistant to fire, rot and wood-destroying insects.