Covid Project

September 14, 2020

With COVID upon us and quarantining at home often, I found myself wanting to take mundane objects in my immediate surroundings and giving them new life. Over a course of time, I’d amass a collection of various glass bottles after finishing drinking from them and would repurpose them as vases to keep my philodendron cuttings in. Already familiar with the capabilities of silkscreening, I was curious to see how feasible printing on glass bottles would be. With the help of Louie from The Lords of Print, we bought a cylindrical silkscreen machine and experimented with it. After many long and frustrating nights, we finally honed in on the right combination of epoxy inks, solvents, screen mesh, heat, and manual pressure that yielded some favorable results.

Simultaneously, I became interested in scents while thinking how olfactory experiences were often underappreciated and deserved more spotlight, similar to how we engage with art and music. Wanting to curate a series of fragrances, I did some research and picked up some new supplies. Sourcing the right fragrances was a task in itself and I came close to giving up altogether, as most of them smelled too synthetic to me. Eventually, I found some fragrance samples I was happy with and have continued to use them. After all this, I have a newfound appreciation for candles as candlemaking is no walk in the park.

The three fragrance blends I landed on are tied to memories of places I’d travelled to:

• An evening in Jeju-do was inspired by my stay at a tangerine farm in Jeju-do off the coast of Korea. Notes of tobacco, citrus, and ozone remind me of calm nights after heavy rainfall exchanging conversations with a friend over a small campfire peeling some of the sweetest tangerines ever tasted.

• An afternoon in Le Marais was inspired by walking through the alleyways in Paris’ 3rd arrondissement observing daily life, while the sun slowly set and casted long shadows across cobblestone. Notes of lavender and ylang ylang remind me of walking through crowds and catching a whiff of someone’s perfume and the smell of a boutique through its storefront.

• A nice day at Kaimanas was inspired by idyllic days spent laying on the soft sands of Kaimana Beach and staring at the clouds drift over in Hawai’i. Not too far from the bustle of Waikiki, Kaimanas is a small beach tucked between a now-defunct natatorium and some old hotels and condos before Diamond Head. Notes of moss, night jasmine, and wet fern make up this floral fragrance.

As I continue to refine my craft in glass printing and candlemaking, I hope to make enough available to share with you on my online store soon. Thanks to everyone who has supported me thus far and helped me overcome some obstacles. Without you, I’d not have made it this far. Until then, thank you for browsing and I wish you all good health.