Transcending geographical boundaries, mythology conveys universal truths and archetypal constructs. Smell, similarly, possesses a remarkable capacity to do away with immediate temporal constraints. Unsurprisingly, many cultures use smell as a conduit to different realms of human awareness, memory and consciousness. Smell, therefore, creates an ethereal connection that underscores the profound and often mysterious impact that sensory experiences can have on the human sense of selfhood. Expanding on this, Ether: Aromatic Mythologies examines the confluence of storytelling, identity, and scent by delving into ancient, modern, personal, or entirely invented mythologies. The thirteen olfactory artworks on show seek to explain our most fundamental understanding of ourselves, and how scent can impact systems of meaning in relation to the inexplicable, the historical, or the unknown.  

(Image Above) Maki Ueda, Olfactory Labyrinth ver. 8 – The Revival of Oikaze, 2025. Scent and solvent, glass bottle, rope, gut rope, bamboo strip, 13.12 W x 13.12 L x 11.48 H ft. Image courtesy of the artist.