Heirlooms et Heritage is a social media account to promote reflection and create stories to stand the test of time.
A London-based memorial to generational heirlooms.
"Better it is to get wisdom than gold, and choose understanding rather than silver"
- Proverbs 16:16
I took the below images while on a trip to the Isle of Wight. I used Lightroom to edit them to give the impression that they were captured on 35mm film.
Insight:
"How much are people willing to pay for repulsive homeware?"
I created this project as part of Bulletproof's 100 Proof competition, where we were given three rap lyrics to choose from and from our chosen lyric we had to create a brand or service inspired by the lyrics. For Scent of Decay, my chosen lyrics were:
"Inhale the putrified aroma, breathe too deep and you'll wind up coma, toast the king I'm hard like a fifth of vodka"
- Jeru the Damaja "Come Clean", 1994.
Manifesto:
Scent of Decay is a high-end lifestyle and homeware brand.
We focus on unique scents and one of a kind sculptural taxidermy pieces.
The word I chose from my lyrics was "putrified". I want to convey this word through my products: taxidermy animal candles and disgusting home scents.
"From my rotting body, flowers shall grow, and I am in them, and that is eternity"
- Edvard Munch
I focused heavily on copy in this project and used it to refine both my copywriting and typography skills, selecting various gothic typefaces to find the best fit for the brand identity. I wanted to give Scent of Decay an ultra high end feel, positioning it at a similar price point to brands such as Chrome Hearts, from which I drew heavy inspiration.
The use of black and white and negative space features heavily in this work and allowed me to silhouette text to provide contrast.
Here is a sample of the inside packaging of the sculptures. I created a coffin-shaped case to present the item, the interior of the coffin would be decorated with this repeat pattern in silk and the name of the piece, for example Lucifer, would be presented in gold leaf.
I named each piece after deities of death from various faiths and cultures. The names I used were: Anubis, Pluto, Lucifer, Thanatos, Hel and Hades.
Beauty in Death, 2023
Alongside the release of my taxidermy candle art pieces, I created a sample of a book, Beauty in Death. The aim of this coffee table book was to show customers the process that went into creating the physical item they held in their hand.
Beauty in Death serves as a handbook for care of the sculptural piece and guides the customer through the creative process, from selection of roadkill to creating the sculpture and candle to packaging.