Litrahb Perfumery

I am an art critic. I write about art from across the globe within multiple contexts, however, a great portion of my writing concerns the contemporary art of Southeast Asia. I lived in Singapore for five years until 2013, a period during which I travelled widely across the region, cultivating knowledge on art practices. It was through art that I really began to comprehend aspects of history, politics, economics, religion, social issues and even issues of ethics. I would always start by asking 'What was the art saying? How was the art saying it?’ This apparently simple thread of enquiry would help me unravel a complicated web of geo-politics.

Strange as it may be, this brought me to fragrance. After writing on art consistently for nearly a decade, I began to feel as though my words were not enough. My mind turned to scent. A few years ago I had encountered the work of artist Goldie Poblador who had captured the pollution of Bangkok through a series of perfumes. I thought of how scent could be a serious medium through which I might try to respond as a critic. 

_________________________________

I would never have imagined myself a perfumer. Violets and peonies meant absolutely nothing to me as I grew up in Nigeria around the smells of the kitchen and petrol. I am a decent cook who loves to experiment, so by 2017, I began researching recipes for fermentation, on the science behind sourdough and bread baking. I also researched essential oils and their use as flavouring agents. I formulated a spicy-herbal blend that could be sprayed on soups and a brandy-based floral blend that could be sprayed on desserts. Sure I could sprinkle black pepper on a dish, but I loved that I could really amp up the facets of aroma and taste by using black pepper extract in combination with other spices, citruses or floral accords. 

Naturally, I began to wonder why not gourmand perfumery! I realised that I hadn't been a keen perfume buyer because western perfumery simply didn't speak to me, or to my cultural contexts. 

_________________________________

I have an undergraduate and a postgraduate degree in fine art but never had I felt more forcefully creative and original than when handling the medium of scent. Using fragrance and flavours as one would utilise a broad colour spectrum, I created several gourmand fragrances in a quick succession during the summer of 2018.

The first perfume I formulated was Green Chutney. Two years prior, I had encountered a new perfume brand on the market. For all the money spent on design and publicity, I wasn't impressed with the actual fragrance itself. I thought to myself if I had had just half the resources, I would have taken a risk. I would have picked something familiar but unexpected. I’d make Green Chutney. And so, here I was - I approached the formulation logically, choosing extracts of coriander, cilantro, lime, pepper and ginger to add to a sparkling citrus base. After a few trials the accord was perfectly fresh, minty, green and almost savoury. I have since had a few experienced noses test it, often seasoned second- or third-generation distillers, who are always taken aback by Green Chutney. It doesn't fall in the traditional attar range, it is absolutely modern and sharp. However, once the shock wears off, they find it familiar and indeed mouth-watering. 

This was followed by Mango Murbo. Murbo, a traditional Sindhi jam is what our summer kitchen smells of during the mango season. The perfume has sweet notes of cinnamon, cardamom, saffron on a base of a multi-faceted 'overripe' mango. I confidently went about several gourmand creations just as one would approach cooking or figuring out ingredients by tasting a dish. I felt so sure about developing this practice that I registered the brand: Litrahb Perfumery and formally documented my process and formulations. I also began serious research on perfumery raw materials.

I confidently went about these creations just as one would approach cooking or figuring out ingredients by tasting a dish. I felt so sure about developing this practice that I registered the brand: Litrahb Perfumery and formally documented my process and formulations. I also began serious research on raw materials.

In this ongoing journey as a critic and perfumer, I began with a series of questions: Where do I source botanicals? How do I keep my practice ethical and how do I align myself with companies that are ethical when comes to labour, fair trade, and impact on their surrounding communities and environment? 

Just as art helped me understand the political world, fragrance helped me value the natural world and made visible the instability wrought by climate change. I wanted to source vanilla absolute but that one simple enquiry led me down a rabbit hole. I learned there was a vanilla crisis! Suddenly I'm informing myself on cyclones, unfair labour and trade practices, shifting consumer habits impacting farmers in Madagascar, Tahiti, Mexico, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. One humble ingredient’s precarious production pointed to a world of climate crisis, political tensions and economic hardships. This is why I don't just want to acquire the best raw materials but I want to know where they are harvested – and who ultimately profits. 

My practice as a critic informs my engagement with the world. Since moving to India, I've been able to scrutinise and modify my consumer habits: cook from scratch instead of buying, mend garments by hand-stitching ends and frays, swap out single-use plastic with eco-friendly alternatives and compost. How then, could I create a product that came in wasteful and non-biodegradable packaging?

Over the course of one year, I made extensive research trips to Kannauj, Satara and Himachal Pradesh to see first hand how botanicals are distilled. Asiaville News followed me on two of these road trips and launched 'Fragrantly Yours’, a short 3-part documentary on my practice. Shortly upon establishing 'Litrahb Perfumery', Delhi-based artist Ranbir Kaleka commissioned me to create the smell of his village based on his memories of growing up in Punjab during the 1950s. And so, within a few months of my burgeoning practice, I found generous patronage, finding a way to pay it forward myself by creating the Litrahb Perfumery Writer's Residency, a space meant for visiting women academics and researchers.

I've developed a perfumery practice that is so slow and small-scale, it may make no sense to a capitalist. I create a 'Perfume of the Season' every quarter; 'Rose and Cardamom' for Spring 2019, 'Mosambi' for the Summer, followed by 'Nutmeg' for Autumn. I write elaborate concept notes and descriptions for each perfume so as to help patrons imagine the fragrance. I create them in limited editions, and may make only up to 20 perfumes per season, with patrons signing on for it two months in advance. The next perfume being formulated for Spring 2020, just in time for Valentine's Day, is Kesari Paarijat – a full on floral perfume composed of three varieties of night-blooming jasmines with a touch of marigold, saffron and oudh.

My beeswax-based scents are set in precious silver pillboxes. My packaging involves selecting the silk fabric and stitching, by hand, the pouches or pockets that can be repurposed once the perfume has been used. No part of my packaging involves the use of plastic, or ends up in landfill. Each limited edition perfume has so far filled my handful clients with delight, their lengthy responses sustaining me on this path, making my practice exceedingly joyous.

Bharti Lalwani is an art critic turned perfumer based in Pune. She likes chasing her neighbours to begin composting and trying to grow gardenias and failing. Follow @litrahbperfumery on Instagram.