Gender
Plants can heal; plants can inspire. In this special edition of our “Art in Emigration” column, we publish an interview with the founder of the Polish DIY perfume workshop Lue lu Lab. Read about ecology, the process of creating new scents, and alchemy in the new article “Not Today, Not Yesterday, Not Tomorrow.”
Lue lu Lab, DIY Perfume Workshop
— How did your journey with perfumery begin? What inspired you to take up this craft?
— It all started because I am very sensitive to sensations. I have low vision, but that doesn’t stop me from perceiving the world through images. Additionally, I work as an exhibition curator and a researcher in the field of outsider art. My ability to see in images developed through the visual arts I engage in. I also completed courses in art conservation and have always paid close attention to the scents I encountered in the world around me. This, combined with art, led me to an interest in the cultural significance of scent. I am fascinated by time, the penetration of the past into the present, ancient recipes, and their modern versions.
— What natural ingredients do you use in your perfumes and why?
— I work exclusively with natural materials: essential oils, absolutes, isolates, and CO2 extracts. My great love is frankincense. There are hundreds of types of frankincense in the world, and I love exploring their aromatic nuances and differences. For example, Boswellia neglecta, Boswellia green hojari, Boswellia white sacra, black sacra, and many others. Each of these types of frankincense has a completely unique aroma, which is incredibly inspiring to me.
— What does the process of creating a new fragrance look like? Can you describe the stages?
— Sometimes I am particularly drawn to certain materials, such as a resin that demands my attention. Lately, that has been Copal blanco. I macerate resins, woods, plants, or flowers in oil or create alcohol tinctures from them, which then become the base for future compositions. I create scents intuitively, even though I have many courses in perfumery and olfactory research under my belt. But in perfumery, it’s not the rules that matter as much as the joy of creativity, feeling, smell, and the idea that guides you.
— Where do you source the ingredients for your perfume? Do you draw inspiration from nature when creating new fragrance combinations?
— My main inspiration comes from nature and the cultural significance of scent. I don’t just create fragrances from ready-made natural perfume materials, but also from interacting with the source itself—the plant, flower, or resin. I either collect the ingredients myself, then macerate and process them, or I acquire them from ethical sources.
Photos from the personal archive of Lue lu Lab
— Nature and the cultural significance of scent are what attract me most. A walk through the forest offers thousands of aromas, and every species of tree has its own unique smell. I am fascinated by the scent of the earth after rain. And resins completely captivate me—they help trees self-heal. By understanding this, one can utilize their natural properties.
— What role does sustainable development play in your work and perfume production?
— I try to collect local resins myself without harming the trees. Frankincense, sandalwood, and other rare species I purchase only from ethical sources. It is especially important when a purchase supports local entrepreneurs, women’s initiatives, or fair trade.
— How do you choose natural ingredients for your fragrances? Do you consider their sustainability and impact on the environment?
— Absolutely. For example, white sandalwood is endangered, so I carefully check its origin, preferring sandalwood from New Caledonia that is cultivated in France. The same applies to frankincense. Boswellia neglecta is harvested by women in Kenya, and I am especially happy to support their labor.
— Which social or environmental issues are most important to you and your workshop?
— Lue Lu Lab is part of a foundation I am building, the Lue Lu Foundation / Brut Now, which focuses on supporting niche and outsider art. The foundation aims to overcome national, cultural, social, and generational barriers. We work to protect freedom, equality, and diversity, as well as fight against the climate crisis, discrimination, and gender-based violence. The perfume lab, like the foundation, stands against the established system, supporting natural and humanistic values.
— Do your perfumes reflect your personality or life philosophy? Is the DIY principle fundamental to you?
— Definitely. Everything that can be created with your own hands benefits the world and is incredibly inspiring. My fragrances go through a DIY journey from start to finish in my small laboratory. I begin by touching the plants, inhaling their scents, listening to them—and from this interaction, a new fragrance is born. In life, I try to follow the philosophy of Ikigai—the path of small steps, mindfulness, and constant improvement.
— Is there something in common between perfumery and alchemy?
— The ingredients themselves are great alchemists. I like to think about how their power transforms into scents. The healing and olfactory properties of substances are astounding. Ancient Egyptians used magic and spells when creating medicines and fragrances. For example, Kyphi is an ancient alchemical elixir made from plants, resins, spices, wine, fruits, and flowers, macerated for several months in oil.
— If you were to compare perfume to music, what kind of music would you create?
— I think it would be music, conversations, and singing, but not of human beings—rather of plants, resins, and trees. They would tell their stories.
— How can customers order your perfumes? Do you offer the possibility to create individual scents upon request?
— Yes, I love working on bespoke fragrances. It is important for me to understand the expectations of the person who reaches out to me. My goal is for the person to feel comfortable with the scent, so changes can always be made if it doesn’t meet their expectations.
— Do you plan to participate in any exhibitions or events this summer?
— I am collaborating with a summer festival in Poznań. I also plan to participate in the next series of Freakmarket in Warsaw and at my favorite tea festival, Zaparzaj, in Poznań. Tea is my second love after resins.
— What advice would you give to aspiring makers who want to create natural perfumes?
— Although I am still a beginning perfumer myself, I would advise being in harmony with the world, establishing interspecies connections, listening to your own intuition and attention, and avoiding templates—including perfumery ones.
Kyphi recipe by Lue lu Lab