Collaborative Project
“THE LAUGHING Jjim”
[working title]
LOGLINE:
LOGLINE:
A new animation of an old Korean folktale about Buddhist nuns hunting for mushrooms.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Laughing Mushroom is a new 3-minute animated film in development and targeted for its premiere in NYC around Chuseok (September 25, 2026). It is based on an ancient Korean folktale about an adventurous group of Buddhist nuns who, during a festival, wander off to forage nearby. They find some enticing mushrooms and bring them back to their temple where they prepare a large delicious pot of “beoseot jeongol” or mushroom soup. Soon afterwards, they experience uncontrollable giggles and giddiness, having consumed "laughter mushrooms," or mildly psychedelic fungi. The film closes with the nuns joyfully dancing and laughing.
Laughing Mushroom is a new 3-minute animated film in development and targeted for its premiere in NYC around Chuseok (September 25, 2026). It is based on an ancient Korean folktale about an adventurous group of Buddhist nuns who, during a festival, wander off to forage nearby. They find some enticing mushrooms and bring them back to their temple where they prepare a large delicious pot of “beoseot jeongol” or mushroom soup. Soon afterwards, they experience uncontrollable giggles and giddiness, having consumed "laughter mushrooms," or mildly psychedelic fungi. The film closes with the nuns joyfully dancing and laughing.
For those interested in going beyond its accessible charm and humor, our film will offer an informative window onto eye-catching yet lesser-seen aspects of Korean culture: its rich Buddhist and mycological traditions (culinary, shamanistic, medicinal). Our film focuses not on the hallucinogenic, but the social aspects intrinsic to Korean culture: the communal spaces of foraging and cooking, and the earthy delight in the deliciousness of the everyday, not just the divine. Transcending the well-known darkness and traumas of Korean history, we present its lighter side in its scenes of matrisocial merriment. Circumventing 3D animation's heavily commercial applications, we experiment with digital techniques in order to expand 3D's language, creating a warmer animated look that bridges the gap between handicraft and digital art, underscoring the craft at the heart of Korean art that imbues its traditional visual and material culture with its characteristic warmth and exquisite beauty.
ANIMATION TESTS
Experimentation in Blender geometry nodes based on the ‘dancheong’ pattern, decorative painted stylings used in Korean temples and buildings.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Ash Suh (she/they) and Maya Han (she/her) are the co-creators and co-directors of the Laughing Mushroom project, presenting a fresh, fun, and illuminating glimpse into fascinating, but little-known aspects of Korean culture: Buddhism, mycology, and music. This collaborative duo met through their membership in the New York Mycological Society–-a mushroom club founded in 1962 by the mycophile and artist-composer John Cage. Ash and Maya discovered that they, too, were both not only both mycophiles, but also artists, coincidentally of Korean-American heritage.
They bring complementary talents to this collaboration: Ash, a classically trained musician, is a visual artist and an exciting new voice in animation; Maya, a longtime New Yorker and artist, writer, and filmmaker, brings an expansive experience as a programmer, curator, and educator, including teaching at the top Buddhist University in Korea. They are excited to introduce the richness of their cultural background to new audiences in ways that celebrate the spirit of delight, collaboration, and community at the heart of both Korean culture and their own artistic process.
CONTACT