scent and ancestry with Persephenie studio

Persephenie is the born-and-bred Angeleno I turn to for olfactory meanderings whenever I'm in town. I've long loved her scents, so much so that I asked her to collaborate on one for MS.

As I write this, I dip my nose into a package of the raw materials that make up our collaboration candle, and I'm taken back to when we first started working together during the depths of the first lockdown.
We were talking on Zoom - I in London, Persephenie in LA - and I didn't know how to put the scent I had in mind into words: something like "damp autumn leaves". 
I thought I was drawn to those moody, transitional English smells, but as I kept smelling the samples Persephenie sent me, my nose kept reaching for the deep, resinous scents of the Mediterranean.
Through this back-and-forth process, something ancestral began to take shape, an instinctive return to the smells of a land that is also mine.

Our collaboration candle will launch in September, in the meantime, please enjoy our studio visit & chat with Persephenie <3

When the world is in turmoil, how do you find solace?  
When the outer world or my inner world is in turmoil, I find solace in movement, specifically through hikes and dance. In stillness, olfaction and listening to music are comforting as well.

What does inspiration mean to you? Where do you find it? How do you channel it? How do you seek it out?
Inspiration to me means transcendence, excitement, vibrancy, movement, exploration, and the feeling that so much is possible, while simultaneously feeling grounded and clear. That latter is important. There’s so much to be inspired by, I don’t really seek or search for it. We’re bombarded by information and inspiration, so filtering, not getting overstimulated by all the possibilities is my challenge. I can get very excited and overwhelmed, so there’s a fine line between inspiration and anxiety, if I’m not feeling centered. Nature is always grounding for me.

Human bodies as vessels that retain the traces of lived experiences are a huge source of inspiration to us. What does growing into your body feel like to you?
Growing into your Body: I used to think growing into my body meant I needed to create an unwavering sense of self. But as I get older and realize so much is out of my control, a deep sense of trust and self acceptance is most important to me.

If you could choose to spend an afternoon with any artist, writer, designer or creative, who would you spend it with, and why?
I’d love to spend an afternoon with the female painters and dancers of the surrealist and spiritual art movement. I’m in utter admiration and awe of their fluidity, imagination, bravery, and dedication. I’d need many afternoons. My list is long;  Remedios Varo, Leonora Carrington, Dorothea Tanning, Leonor Fini, Ithell Colquhoun, Hilma of Klint, Loie Hollowell, Emma Kunz, Unica Zurn, Martha Grahm, Isadora Duncan, Pina Bausch, and Loie Fuller.

What was the last exhibition you’ve loved?
The last exhibition that made a significant impact on me was a performance piece by artists Katherine Helen Fisher and Jaeneal, called A Cyborgs Mirror.

What food do you share with friends and loved ones and why? Can you give us your recipe?
A S. California version of Tabbouleh. My work consists of rigid measuring, so generally when making food, I throw things together.
75% Chopped Parsly
Quinoa
Sweet Chopped Tomatoes
Cubed Cucumber
Sauteed Shallots
Chopped Fresh Mint Leaves
Chopped Fresh Basil Leaves
Grated Ginger
Fresh Pressed Sesame Oil from Korea Town
Brags Liquid Aminos
Olive Oil
Fresh Squeezed Lemon

Over the years we have looked to the words of writers, thinkers and makers to stimulate our ideas. How does the following quote resonate for you? “Take a walk at night. Walk so silently that the bottoms of your feet become ears”  (Pauline Oliveros)
What a beautiful approach to living! Reminds me of the Japanese concept of Monko, ‘listening to incense’, which also translates to gateway. My interpretation of Pauline Olivero’s approach to a heightened awareness of sound is to be present, to really listen in such a manner, that another portal, another perspective of being opens.

We love seeing you in your MS vest in these beautiful photos by Nitsa. Do you remember the first time you put on one of our pieces? We'd love to hear how it made you feel.
I will most importantly write that your work is beautiful and magnetic. The pieces I’ve acquired feel deeply personal, comforting, powerful, and timeless. As if they were made just for me, and I’ll wear them for the rest of my life. I had this feeling from when I first tried on your work, and I still experience it now. Especially the comforting part!

We cannot wait to launch our candle into the world this September, collaborating on this project has been such a special journey. What was the process like from your perspective?
Through my perfumes, I noted your sensitivity to scent intensity and what types of notes you were attracted to.
You’re particular and direct, so whether you’re attracted to something is a clear yes or no. This was really helpful for me. Your sensitivity and olfactory aesthetic directed me towards complex, earthy, and deep materials which were resinous, mossy, woodsy, and herbal.
Initially I had posted to you in the UK a set of raw materials and oils, as we were working on herbal talismans. Labdanum was one of them and it resonated with you immediately. So Labdanum resin, patchouli, and Lavender, which were some of the raw materials in the donut shaped talismans, became the inspiration, as well as the style of a chypre, as those scent profiles together, are part of the foundation of a chypre perfume. A chypre is a mediterranean inspired fragrant family.
Although it may have seemed like I was leading the direction, you were actually guiding me with scents that were already part of you, I paid very close attention.

@PersephenieStudio


Interview by Lizzie Lloyd