Tjaša Bon Poisonous

The exhibition project is based on the illustrator’s master’s thesis, which explores poisonous hallucinogenic plants and fungi of Slovenia through an interplay of scientific research and artistic interpretation. At the forefront of the exhibition are original black-and-white botanical and mycological illustrations, executed in ink on paper using a stippling technique. The drawings are grounded in careful observation and scientific accuracy, depicting key morphological characteristics of individual species, including highlighted details and cross-sections.

In the exhibition space, the original illustrations are placed in dialogue with selected photographic imagery and an artist’s book. The illustrations in the book are complemented by black-and-white photographs of habitats, situating the organisms within their natural context, presenting their environments, and creating atmosphere. Photography and illustration function as two perspectives on the same subject—one analytical, the other atmospheric.

In addition to scientific illustration, the project also presents typographic elements containing information on toxins and their effects. The exhibition thus offers a comprehensive experience in which scientific systematicity intertwines with artistic sensibility.