“There I was, a woman on the rocks by the ocean, wrapped in a blanket, waiting for the return of her lover. Everything I knew about art would say that I was a painting. I was certainly a poem. Sappho was too - her life, perhaps, unknowable, but her feelings were mine. I was mythic.”
― Melissa Broder, The Pisces
April Lea is the founder, perfumer and creative force behind LVNEA, a Canadian fragrance house known for its richly layered natural perfumes. Drawing on mythology, folklore, art history and the natural world, April creates scents that invite us to slow down, reflect and connect more deeply with the stories carried by fragrance.
Recorded prior to the 2026 Institute for Art and Olfaction Awards in Athens, our conversation explores the inspiration behind her award-finalist Vanitas fragrances and the centuries-old artistic traditions that informed their creation. April shares insights into her creative practice, from collaborating with perfumers and working with living botanical materials to translating emotion, memory and meaning into scent.
We also discuss the complexities of natural perfumery, including ethical sourcing, sustainability and the environmental and cultural histories embedded within fragrance ingredients. Together, we explore how perfume can be both deeply personal and inherently political, connecting us to land, community and place.
LVNEA fragrances mentioned:
Vanitas
Selkie
Les Lunatiques
Books discussed:
The Pisces - Melissa Broder
Find LVNEA at:
Instagram:
@lvneaperfume
Website:
lvenua.ca
Theme music for the show was created by Raul Sanchez I Jorge. Check out his solo work on Wild Animal Records
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