An Immersive Art Exhibition - Exploring the invisible dialogue between fragrance and colour.
As the founder of Greenhaus Studio — and curator of our niche fragrance collection — I’ve always seen fragrance as an art form, something to be experienced with more than just the nose. As both a collector of abstract art and a curator of niche perfume, I’m fascinated by how the senses overlap. Think of biting into a blueberry that somehow tastes blue. Or noticing a perfume that smells green. These moments capture the idea of synesthesia, the overlap of senses: where fragrance, colour, and mood speak the same language.
THE LANGUAGE OF COLOUR IN FRAGRANCES
Fragrance is, in many ways, wearable, invisible art. Just as a painting can lift a space, a fragrance can shift how we feel and connect us more deeply to ourselves. Colour is the bridge between them.
White and beige notes — jasmine, musks, sandalwood — carry serenity, intimacy, and purity. Green accords like vetiver, basil, and fig leaf signal renewal and balance. Yellow and orange — bright with bergamot, neroli, mango, passionfruit, and radiant florals like ylang-ylang and orange blossom — radiate energy and optimism. Roses and peonies turn pinks and reds into romance and passion. Purples, with violet, blackberry, and incense, are moody and mysterious. And the deepest tones — oud, patchouli, leather, and smoky resins — smoulder black, conveying mystery and power. Colour becomes a shorthand for how a fragrance makes us feel. A golden amber radiates warmth before we even smell it. A green accord refreshes the mind the moment we read it. This interplay is the essence of the scent of colour.
With this vision in mind, I created Synesthesia — The Scent of Colour, an immersieve art exhibition showing at Greenhaus Studio throughout October. The exhibition began with a simple idea: if fragrance is art, how can we make the invisible — the emotion of fragrance — visible?
HOW A FRAGRANCE BECAME A PAINTING
To bring this to life, I turned to two of my favourite local artists — Millie Gillespie and Julia Freiseisen — whose work felt naturally emotive and therefore aligned with fragrance.
I first met Millie at her Stillness Within exhibition. Her soft gestures on canvas immediately spoke to me in the same way a skin scent does: calming, intimate, cocooning. I gave her a selection of fragrances to live with while she created her pieces, inviting her to translate cashmere, musks, aldehydes, and ozonic notes into new canvases. The result is a palette of whites, beiges, and soft blues that mirror the serenity of scents that sit close to the skin.
I took a different approach with Julia’s work, which has been part of my personal collection for many years. Her recent exploration of bold colour on oversized canvases immediately made me think of unapologetic florals and juicy fruit fragrances. In fact, one of her pieces, On My Way Home, feels to me like the scent of Impadia by BDK Parfums — deep mandarin and rose softened with creamy sandalwood and vanilla. I curated a selection of her vibrant works and paired them with fragrances built on rose, jasmine, and passionfruit — scents that are colourful, expressive, and perfect for spring.
Every pairing in this exhibition has been guided by the Greenhaus philosophy: experiences that are elevated, intentional, and deeply sensory. All artworks are available to purchase exclusively through Greenhaus Studio.
AN INVITATION
This October, I invite you to step into Synesthesia — The Scent of Colour at Greenhaus Studio. Available to view throughout October, celebrating on 18th October 5:30pm - 6:30pm at Greenhaus Studio, 27 Bay View Terrace, Claremont. All art available to purchase exclusively through Greenhaus Studio.
- Tarli, Founder, Greenhaus Studio
