Exploring the possibilities of scent in jewellery design, Sofie Boons is strongly inspired by perfumery and science when creating her work. The young designer studied jewellery design and silver-smithing to a postgraduate level, influencing her conceptual mind-set as a designer.
One of her main goals is to ensure her work is not restricted to a certain material or technique, which has led to combining texture and scent, as well as pursuing multiple collaborations with other artists and designers. Due to her unique alchemy jewellery, Boons was selected as one of the Design Council’s 70 Ones to Watch for 2015 .
We caught up with the designer to talk more about what inspires her projects…
"The three things I couldn’t be without are my graphic calculator, a compact sketchbook and the scent of my studio. There is more maths in designing jewellery than you’d think which is why I need the graphic calculator. I also tend to have one compact sketchbook for each project. It allows me to compile my research and write. By documenting my ideas in it I can create an overview and room in my head for more ideas, thoughts and explorations.
"I can’t really explain the scent of my studio, but ideas come more easily when I am in familiar surroundings. It always smells of the materials I am using at that point in time, when I am working with something specific. The smell provokes ideas."
"That is a hard question for me to answer because I am attracted to many materials, each for their individual properties, strengths and weaknesses. I think that if I had to pick one, it would be the NAuNO and NAgNO, materials that Jodie Melbourne and I created, just because it has amazed me, frustrated me, confused me, daunted me, and, up until today, still shows huge potential for the creation of new work and new applications. The way in which it changes colour baffles me and I cannot wait to keep exploring the possibilities."
"I have been holding workshops in the past few years for all kinds of audiences, from children to adults and the elderly, to accompany my book Formulas for Solid Perfumes.
"These workshops are designed to promote communication about scents, smells and perfumes, and invite people to question the way we use (or don’t use) our sense of smell, and invite them into the world of perfumery.
"The book was the result of intense research and came to life in collaboration with photographer Helen McGhie and graphic designer Abbie Vickress. Discussing these important topics alongside the book in the context of these workshops makes me quite proud."
Sofie Boons and Jodie Melbourne
"I wish I’d been involved with the Butcher Block by Commonwealth . For the project, the Commonwealth team analysed the scent of the wood they wanted to use to produce a piece of furniture. They based the shape of the piece they created on the chemical analysis and the connecting non-olfactory characteristics of the scent. I would have loved to be there for the development of that piece. It was an exciting and original way of looking at materials as inspiration."
"Jodie and I have been sponsored by NanoComposix , who have given us more Nano particles to use in our research of the material. As the material has so many possibilities and it can be applied to so many different ideas, I am looking forward to creating more interesting work that explores and illustrates the material’s properties in original and exciting pieces of jewellery."
Find out more about Sofie Boons here.
