about me

headshot of a white woman in plain black top

Hi, I'm Erin Adams, and I started Smell Art because I believe that scent is an incredibly important part of our everyday lives and it is the perfect way to combine my love for art and science. As a society, we tend to prioritize sight and sound over smell, but I'm passionate about helping people realize the potential that scent has to enrich our experiences and deepen our connection with the world around us.

My interest in olfactory art began in 2007 when I saw a Secret Chiefs 3 concert in Melbourne. I noticed a scent wafting from the stage that heightened the overall experience, and from that moment on, I became intrigued with the idea of pairing scent with other forms of art. Years later, while living in Berlin in 2017, I decided to give scent design a try and created a scent experience for a concert. The response was overwhelmingly positive, and I ended up doing several more scent designs for musical performances while I was there. During this time I attended many events at Scent Club Berlin, a vibrant community of artists and scent enthusiasts.

Since then, I've been immersing myself in the world of olfactory art, practicing scent design, attending workshops and exhibitions, and reading everything I can get my hands on about the science of smell and scent design. I am inspired by the Institute for Art and Olfaction in LA and am committed to being part of the Open Source Smell Culture they've fostered.

At University I completed a double degree in jazz trombone and corporate finance. After graduating I worked for 14 years at Union House Theatre, University of Melbourne where I was able to combine my passion for the arts with my skills in admin, marketing, community building, and producing. These days when I’m not working on a scent design, you’ll usually find me doing acrobatics or origami.

I'm excited to share my passion for scents with you and to help you discover the incredible potential that scent has to enhance art, events, and everyday life.