have been working with natural fragrances for more than twenty years, always using organically grown materials. The extracts I distil myself are produced with a traditional copper alembic (distillation apparatus), often at our site in France. In my olfactory studio in Hilversum, I use a glass laboratory setup for this process. For aromatic materials that I cannot distil myself, I work with trusted suppliers who can provide certified organic quality. Purity of material is paramount. From these carefully selected fragrances, I create compositions that I incorporate into my artworks and use during lectures and training programmes.

In my studio, I experiment with the aromatic qualities of a wide variety of plant species and natural raw materials, while studying their historical and cultural backgrounds and traditional uses. In 2023, for example, I travelled to South Korea to investigate the olfactory landscape of Jeju Island. This year, from September through October, I will be working with new portable field-distillation equipment in the region surrounding Kyoto during my artist residency, where I will continue to explore local aromatic plants and the stories connected to them.

I am also part of the five-year research project Existential Challenges of Planetary Health (ECoPH, VU Amsterdam), in which I use scent and art as interactive media within a collaborative environment involving scientific researchers. In addition, my artistic practice explores the colours and printability of plants. The results of these experiments are incorporated into my artworks. For more information about my artistic vision and practice, please see my artist statement.

In my book Geurpsychologie voor iedereen: een aromatisch kompas in de wereld van geur (Scent Psychology for Everyone: An Aromatic Compass in the World of Scent) (2020, Akasha Publishing), I present extensive profiles of a variety of aromatic plants and discuss the scent-based artworks I create.