FUNGI is the sixth jigsaw puzzle motif I created for the puzzle company WillaWunst. The main challenge was selecting which fungi to feature. Rather than creating a safe guide to mushroom foraging, the goal was to spark curiosity and encourage people to explore the topic while celebrating nature’s vibrant diversity.
For the selection and initial sketches, I researched a wide range of sources on foraging mushrooms, focusing on edible species commonly found in Germany, the target market. As mushroom foraging carries the risk of poisoning, we consulted an expert, who advised us to exclude species that are easily confused with toxic lookalikes.
However, since some of these more ambiguous mushrooms are visually striking, we decided to include a few of them, marking them with subtle warning signs and clearly stating that the puzzle is not intended as a foraging guide.
To make the puzzle more engaging – especially given that large monochrome areas can be challenging – we incorporated the names of the mushrooms along with floral elements into the background.
Client: WillaWunst / Timeline: May – July 2025 / Role: illustrator
