Jessica Hannah

When I was very young I stayed for a week with my grandparents in southern Missouri. Their home was a scratch and sniff book. The front walk was lined with mint, the guest bedroom smelled of my grandma's Avon perfume, the kitchen- coffee, the bathroom- strawberries, the living room- freshly mown hay. The massive stretch of hilly land behind the house was an earthy base note.

Nothing ever was or ever will be, except right this moment. Yet, aroma can keep us in the present while simultaneously reeling us into the past. Isn't that the funny thing about scent? Aromas travel unfiltered into the Limbic system, the warehouse of memories and emotions, which is why we instantly remember or feel or respond to aroma. At one point in our evolution, humans were face down, smelling the world. The eyes were second to the nose.

My work wants to interact with your senses or maybe I just want to share a good story, or question consumption without throwing it in your face. Or maybe I keep working because I can't stop dreaming of that mid-century modern chair whenever I am longing, so I keep making till I dream of something else.

My goal is to engage others beyond a "look and leave" experience. I perform. I curate. I teach. I blend natural perfumes.

When technology allows, you will be able to smell this page- a blend of Orange Blossom, Clementine, Oak Moss, Sandalwood.

jessica@jessicahannah.com

Subscribe to our newsletter

Natural Perfumery Workshops
Create a personalized natural perfume at this 2 hour workshop.  We will sample oils from around the world including: Bulgarian Clary Sage, Egyptian Jasmine, French Balsam Peru, Italian Bergamot and many more. You will pick the unique combination of oils to be blended into your very own perfume. Blend multiple combinations in additional bottles to add to your natural perfume wardrobe, or give them as gifts.

$45/person, includes your .25 fl oz perfume. Additional blends $20/bottle. Workshops are limited to 2-8 people.

Contact Jessica to schedule  your next girls' night, bachelorette party, men’s social, mother/daughter night, or birthday party. Give a gift certificate for a workshop.

Questions? Contact Jessica Hannah at jessica@jessicahannah.com

Custom Bespoke Perfumes

Private sessions are available to create a complex and unique perfume. Contact Jessica for more details.

What is Natural Perfume?

Natural perfume is blended with only natural essences from plants, resins, roots, leaves, bark, flowers and fruits. These aroma blends are highly sensual, capturing the unique individuality of the person wearing the blend.  Since natural perfumes do not contain synthetic extenders or artificial chemicals, they will last about two hours on the skin. So keep your natural perfume with you to reapply through the day. Take these reapplication moments to reflect inward, inhale the aroma and recognize how you are connected to this precious world and universe.

What people are saying about the workshops and their perfume blends:

"I can't wait to do this again! There are so many combinations to try."

"I am really digging having a personal scent. I feel spoiled."

"I kept getting little whiffs of myself when the breeze caught my nostril and thinking I smelled like the kind of person I want to be: calm and peaceful and a little bit private."

EDUCATION   

• Studies with Mandy Aftel of Aftelier Perfumes, Berkley CA 2011-12
  

• Institute of Aromatic Studies, San Francisco CA 2009

• MFA   Interdisciplinary Art and Media, Columbia College, Chicago IL 2008

• BFA    Film Studies, Webster University, St Louis MO 1998

• Theater School, De Paul University, Chicago IL 1994-1996

jessica@jessicahannah.com

Food & Performance
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Chicago-IL/Food-Performance/174498605936469

3 Card Molly- Interdisciplinary Performance Group
www.3cardmolly.org

Shawn Sheehy- Pop-Up Engineer/Creator of paper and artist books
www.shawnsheehy.com

Jenny Magnus- Artist/Performer/Writer/Planner extraordinaire
www.jennymagnus.com

Jeffrey Grauel- Visual Artist
www.jeffreygrauel.com

Jen Thomas-Werkspace
http://werkspacechicago.tumblr.com/