.sharon.
ONCE A CORRECTIONS OFFICER AT RIKERS, SHARON SPENT 20 YEARS IN PRISON FOR A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE RELATED CASE. SHE IS NOW CHEF & OWNER OF JUST SOUL CATERING. EXPERIENCE HER STORY IN SOUND & SCENT.
MALA : A GARLAND OF FLOWERS, A BAD WOMAN, MEMORY AS LIVING ART
These multiple meanings were a point of departure for this podcast & perfume anthology. As a writer & perfumer, I wanted to explore memory & olfaction & interrogate this idea of a so-called “bad woman.”
The women interviewed for this project spent decades in the criminal justice system in New York State. We wanted to render their lives, before & after their convictions, as perfumes. We wanted the process to be open, without judgment, liberatory.
Each fragrance is a composition of the scent memories amassed throughout their lifetime. These are notes from their childhood, of solace, of yearning, of trauma & escape.
The act of releasing a scent from a vessel into the air is akin to their newfound freedom, to a life now outside. We welcome you to experience their stories.
In love & solidarity,