Fragrance Talks vol.1 Marina Tanaka

Our journey so far

JODAN. (hereinafter J): First, please introduce yourself.

Marina: I originally started out as an illustrator, but over the past few years I've gradually expanded my expression as a painter.

I have switched between illustration and painting depending on the connections and work I have had at the time. I think I have been able to continue doing this for so long because it feels natural for me to meet people's expectations.

I've been working as a freelancer since I was 20, mainly creating illustrations for commercial use, but it was about three years ago that I started working as a painter in earnest.

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J: So you started as a painter relatively recently.

Marina: That's right. It's connected to changes in the heart, and I'm good at reading people's feelings and desires, so I thought that made me well suited to working as an illustrator.

That's why I never really thought of myself as an "artist." I had the image that artists needed a strong will to "create something on their own" and an aesthetic sense, and I didn't think I had either.

I started doing illustration work while working a part-time job, and little by little the work expanded, and before I knew it, I was continuing. I think the reason I've never felt like I couldn't do it anymore is because I enjoy meeting other people's expectations.

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A turning point as a painter

J: What was the turning point for you as a painter?

Marina: It started when a lot of things happened in my personal life and in my relationships, and I had more time to face myself.

While I was receiving counseling and thinking, "I want to try doing something different from what I had done before," someone who had been kind to me for a long time asked me, "I've started a gallery; why don't you try holding an exhibition?"

I had received similar offers before, but I had turned them all down. However, this person was someone I particularly trusted, so I thought, "Maybe I should give it a try."

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J: Were you able to draw smoothly from the beginning?

Marina: I couldn't draw it at all (laughs).

When I was asked to "draw a picture of myself," I was confused. Up until then, I had naturally adapted to others, so I didn't know what "my own expression" was.

But since I had decided to do it, I had no choice but to draw it. So, just like with commercial illustrations, I came up with a way to create my own work by considering the composition and keeping in mind the "viewer" and "seasonal feeling."

By making the exhibition space a place where visitors can feel happy, I think I gradually began to develop a sense of creating something on my own.

At first, I was afraid to show pictures of women and men with their heads down, which I had never done before.

I was worried, wondering if it was okay to exhibit something like this and whether I wanted people to know about it. But the curator suggested to me, "Why not exhibit your own paintings instead of just for the customers?"

In the end, the animal drawings were more popular, but some people were also interested in my own drawings, and the response was greater than I expected.

I was happy that my expression, which I thought "no one wanted," reached someone.

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Memories and scents

J: Can I ask you about the thoughts behind the fragrance?

Marina: For me, "memories of the past" are like the material for the work itself.

I'm the type of person who is more likely to remember things not going as planned or feelings of regret than to remember things that were fun.

If left untreated, these memories can become traumatic, so I wanted to incorporate them into the fragrance in a way that would gently embrace those memories.

I believe that the experiences I had, from which I learned so much, have shaped me into the person I am today.

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J: What are some of your own memories that are particularly associated with scent?

Marina: There are a few, but one that particularly comes to mind is the memory of a love affair that didn't work out.

One was when I was in high school, and the other was when I had just come to Tokyo. Both are memories of when I was immature and couldn't express love well.

When I was in love in Tokyo, I still remember the scene where we walked along the Sumida River after a series of misunderstandings.

"I wanted to be spoiled but I couldn't," "I wanted to be kind but I couldn't." I used to hate myself for being like that, but now I've come to think, "It couldn't be helped."

The pain of immaturity eventually transforms into fond memories. This feeling is embodied in the fragrance.

I would be delighted if this fragrance could help ease even a little of the pain of the past and turn it into warmth.

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Smell the scent of "YUU"

J: What did you think when you actually smelled the finished fragrance?

Marina: It was so kind... I almost cried. It has a calm and mature vibe to it, and I really like it.

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J: What struck me was when you first said, "I want this scent to make people cry."

Marina: I think even negative memories can be sublimated through scent.

I wanted to create a fragrance that would gently comfort someone in their sadness and have a quiet effect on their heart.

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The story behind the fragrance

The scent of "YUU" reflects Marina's inner gentle emotions and the warmth of the time she has overcome.

The top notes are vibrant and refreshing, like lemon and pepper, while the middle notes are layered with the refreshing scents of cardamom, lavender, and eucalyptus, evoking a sense of transience.

At the end, the bittersweet warmth of patchouli and cedar atlas spreads, lingering as if gently enveloping past emotions.

Transience and strength, serenity and depth. The fragrance that has been created seems to capture Marina's "layers of memories."

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The story to be written

J: After what we've talked about so far, please tell us about your future plans.

Marina: I have a dream that I've always talked about: "I want to live peacefully in an atelier in the forest."

It may sound like a pipe dream, but it's something I really want to achieve.

I usually spend a lot of time alone, so memories and conversations often circulate in my head. That's why I treasure the encounters I have with people and the casual words they say to me, and they become like "friends in my memory."

Now that I've come to think that loneliness isn't so bad, if I can make my alone time fulfilling, I can be kinder to others in my interactions with them.

For me, "elegance" may be found in such a contented silence.