“Of all the senses, that of smell bears clearest witness to the urge to lose oneself in and become the ‘other’. As perception and the perceived -both are united- smell is more expressive than the other senses.” (Dialectic of enlightenment. Stanford University Press, Horkheimer and Adorno, 1979, p.184)
Auras investigates identity through the interplay of chemistry, perception, and physical interactions. Unlike other senses, scent perception is less controllable—while one can look away or block out sound, scents must physically enter the body, binding with receptors in the nostrils.
While we can't control how we perceive a scent, we do associate it with connotations: it may trigger memories or emotions, offer something layered or ambiguous. Auras plays with these associations by designing bespoke scents tailored to the individuals around me. Based on my perception of their physicality and essence, the scents aim to encapsulate their traits and collage aspects of posture, behavior, passion, and environment.
Once applied, the scent interacts organically with the body, shifting in response to individual hormones, skin composition, and temperature. The result is a unique scent that becomes a tangible aura, perceived and interpreted by those in the person’s vicinity.
This invisible, volatile substance becomes a threshold for encountering, imagining, and intimately engaging with others.
Hand blown glass bottle
