The Art and Olfaction Awards Announced The Finalists
Press Release
After celebrating 10th awards in Lisbon, The Art and Olfaction Awards is excited to bring the event back to its hometown of Los Angeles.
The awards present a highly competitive and highly selective arbiter of excellence in perfumery. Raising interest and awareness for active independent, artisan and experimental perfumers from all countries, the organisers hope it will help generate support for independent perfumery, as a whole.
In celebration of eleven years of the community’s exceptional work with scent, the Institute for Art and Olfaction is expanding the awards celebrations with a rich roster of programs, in the second edition of Scent Week. Programs will include the Experimental Scent Summit (May 27), Scent Fair LA (May 30-June 1), Ether, an exhibition of olfactory art and mythology at Craft Contemporary, and many exciting olfactory happenings including Scent Rave (by Maxwell Williams), a talk exploring scent in the context of Mexican architect Luis Barragan (by Halston Bruce), and much more.
In anticipation of this eclectic celebration, the finalists for the 11th Art and Olfaction Awards in three categories-Artisan, independent, and experimental-are announced. The winners in each category will be announced on May 29 at a friendly and bohemian ceremony in Los Angeles.
Submissions to the 2025 edition of the awards were judged by an international jury of perfumers, artists, academics and business professionals. The Art and Olfaction Awards judges judge each submission blindly, accompanied only by a tracking number and an anonymised creative brief.
Experimental Category Finalists
Buscando Alma
Artist | Perfumer: Nina LaMaison
Argentina
The search for the soul when technology has eclipsed what is essentially human.
New Olfactory Molecules (Hyperflor, E12)
Artist | Perfumer: Sean Raspet
United States
Scent molecules are presented in an unmediated olfactory experience.
Recollection
Writer: Georgia Ketels, Producer: Cathy Hunt (Potkettleblack)
Perfumer: Erin Adams, Smell Art
Australia
Custom scents fill the theater in a theatrical production exploring loss.
Schmerzh, Memories Don't Evaporate
Project Lead: Olivia Wiederkehr, Live Lab AG, Fachstelle KiöR
Perfumer: Andreas Wilhelm
Switzerland
Addressing unspoken societal wounds through scent, as a strategy for inclusive remembrance.
Sfumato
Artist: Karola Braga
Incense maker: Theo Bibancos
A land art installation where smoke recreates the aromatic trail of an ancient Incense route.
Artisan Category Finalists
1747, by Rivendare
Perfumer: David Clarke
Australia
A historic hot chocolate inspires a luxurious, semi-realistic olfactory experience.
Alice, by Element Experimental Aroma Lab
Perfumer: Emily van Oosterom
New Zealand
A fever dream of rabbit holes, a boozy tea party, and a hint of magic mushrooms.
Blue Marble, by St Clair Scents
Perfumer: Diane St.Clair
United States
Representing the beauty, complexity and fragility of Earth's intertwining systems.
Grandma's Closet, by Yenchi Lin
Perfumer: Yenchi Lin
Taiwan | Grasse
Evoking memories of childhood hide-and-seek in a grandmother’s wooden closet.
Mekha Aranya, by SIAM1928
Perfumer: Nutt Wesshasartar
Thailand
Inspired by the mythical creature Mhom, capturing its journey to the heavens.
Meraura, by NUSA Art of Scent
Perfumer: Abdullah Al Roman
Malaysia
Inspired by two traditional woods from the Malay peninsula.
Mint Rose, by OrdioLab
Perfumer: Jerry Lin
Taiwan
An icy rose fragrance infused with the essence of Taiwanese herbs.
Pine, by Stora Skuggan
Perfumer: Tomas Hempel
Sweden
It's pine. It smells like pine.
The Space Between, by fūm
Perfumer: Miss Layla
United States
A velvet incense perfume showcasing the meditative aroma of Mexican white copal.
You & I (Will Die), by House of Mammoth
Perfumer: Benjamin Esposito
United States
An exploration of the fragile impermanence of humanity.
Independent Category Finalists
Bad Lily, by TALE Parfum
Perfumer: Michael Nordstrand
Creative Director: Chad Hodge, Diandra Barsalou (United States)
A raw, modern take on Lily of the Valley: Green, untamed, and beautiful.
Cape Wrath, by BeauFort London
Perfumer: Euan McCall
Creative Director: Leo Crabtree (United Kingdom)
Inspired by wild, treacherous seascape and rugged coastline of North Britain.
Ex Manifattura Tabacchi, by Floridia
Perfumer: Giovanni Festa
Creative Director: Antonio Di Giulio Cesare (Italy)
A historical reconstruction of a Kentucky tobacco processing factory near Naples.
Fifty Four, by Jusbox Perfumes
Perfumer: Julien Rasquinet
Creative Director: Andrea Valdo, Chiara Valdo, with Sebastian Jara (Italy)
Inspired by the euphoric, transgressive, hedonistic spirit of Studio 54.
Northern | Crimson Snow, by Soulvent
Perfumer: Ciny Ye
Creative Director: Dennis Zhu, Yvonne Guo (China)
Inspired by two traditional Chinese medicine ingredients: Tangerine peel and hawthorn.
Patchouli, by Wamaq Perfumes
Perfumer: Amer Al Radhi
Creative Director: Abdulaziz Yousef (Saudi Arabia)
The essence of a tropical forest, with bergamot, spices, flowers, and a woody patchouli base.
Principalities, by Caeleste
Perfumer: David-Lev Jipa-Slivinschi
Creative Director: Stefan Radut (Romania)
Blending stardust-like mineral and sparkling notes to evoke the mysterious essence of outer space.
Source, by Vallense
Perfumer: Pia Long
Creative Director: William Borrell (United Kingdom)
A dimly lit room steeped in smoke, where spices are scattered across the floor in bursts of color and scent.
The Mandala, by Param Sara
Perfumer: Alex Lee
Creative Director: Ankita Gill (India/China)
Inspired by intricate designs that are wiped away in a profound act of renewal.
Twin Peaks, by Epichron
Perfumer: Michael Wong
Creative Director: Jerry Luk & Michael Wong (China)
The parallel fate of two teas: sharing the same botanical roots, given different names on two mountain peaks.
Honorable Mentions Independent Category
Búcaro Royal, by nBitor
Perfumer: Miguel Matos
Creative Director: Thomas E. Dennis, Raul Falcon (Spain)
A symbol of the link between the Old World and the New.
Pyroclasm, by BeauFort London
Perfumer: Euan McCall
Creative Director: Leo Crabtree (United Kingdom)
Inspired by the forces of nature and the forces of human hand.
Matcha Soft Serve, by d'Annam
Perfumer: Anh Ngo
Creative Director: Nick Hoang, Kazuki Yamamoto (Vietnam)
A playful tribute to Japan’s favorite treat.
Juanillo, by Adamo Parfum
Perfumer: Hamid Merati-Kashani, Julien Rasquinet, Christian Provenzano, Michel Almairac
Creative Director: Antioco Adamo (Italy)
Evocative of the tropical beaches of the Dominican Republic.
Tipsy Tuberose, by Annindriya
Perfumer: Meabh McCurtin
Creative Director: Tanja Deurloo (The Netherlands)
A surprising blend of tuberose and whiskey.
Honorable Mentions Artisan Category
Jasmine Dragon, by Sifr Aromatics
Perfumer: Johari Kazura (Singapore)
Inspired by the Year of the Dragon, celebrating renewal and beauty in bloom.
Nébuleuse Bleu, by Chouette Vierge
Perfumers: Hoang Nguyen (Vietnam)
Capturing Inuit life, where the air is filled with liqueur, fur, and tobacco.
No Mow May, by 4160 Tuesdays
Perfumer: Sarah McCartney (United Kingdom)
May in London: Grass grows, seeds spread.
Provenance, by Qhue New York
Perfumer: Quentin Hernandez (USA)
Evoking the rich heritage of New York's New Amsterdam era.
Rampai Noir, by Fuse Kuala Lumpur
Perfumer: Arfan Ramli (Malaysia)
Exploring a fragrant floral medley used in Malay celebrations.
About the Art and Olfaction Awards
The Art and Olfaction Awards is a non-profit award mechanism founded in 2013 to celebrate excellence in independent, artisan, and experimental perfumery. The first awards ceremony was held in April 2014 at the Goethe Institut in Los Angeles, where awards were presented in two categories: Independent and Artisan. The following year, the Sadakichi Award for Experimental Work with Scent was introduced to recognize innovative uses of scent beyond commercial perfumery.
Over the years, the awards have expanded to include various categories, including discretionary awards such as the Contribution to Scent Culture Award and the Visionary Award, as well as the Newcomers Award. Events have taken place in several cities around the world, including Los Angeles, Berlin, London, Amsterdam, Miami, and Lisbon.
The awards emphasize a blind judging process conducted by an international panel of judges, ensuring impartiality and fairness. Through these efforts, the Art and Olfaction Awards have become a significant platform for recognizing creativity and innovation while fostering a greater appreciation for independent perfumers, globally.