In a quest to reconnect human beings to nature while living in a highly urbanised environment, Valentina explores the possibility of mycelium and its surface applications. Mycelium is the vegetative part of mushrooms and it has been used to bind agricultural waste and create new sustainable materials which are naturally fire retardant, insulating and sound-absorbing. Experimenting with various substrates and fungi species, she researches to introduce colour at growing level while creating surfaces that are completely compostable at the end of their life span. Her main focus is on designing with waste as well as using it as a pigment to dye and finish her materials.