Scent, Silver, and the Self…
Sarah Austin is an emerging Naarm/Melbourne based artist whose practice explores the relationship between the body, personal ritual, and the sensory language of adornment. Her work considers how objects worn close to the skin can act as vessels for presence, memory and self-connection. In her latest works, through the fusion of scent and jewellery, she re-imagines adornment as a form of care – a quiet dialogue between material, gesture and identity. Working primarily with sterling silver and traditional lost wax carving and casting methodology, Sarah’s works marry the tangible and intangible; material and self.
Through this conceptual lens, Sarah views jewellery not merely as decoration, but as a medium for emotional and sensory awareness. Each piece invites its wearer to slow down, to feel and to reconnect with their own presence – transforming routine into ritual and the ordinary into something quietly sacred.
Graduate Work – Ritual of Self Series
Sarah’s series of wearable artworks and vessels, Ritual of Self, explores the intimate act of adornment as a personal ritual of appreciation. Each piece merges scent and jewellery to invite a sensory moment of pause; quiet intimacy with the self.
Beginning the ritual, the sterling silver vessel (Fig. 2, Vessel I) holds a natural fragrance blend and, on its lid, a blotter used to apply scent to the leather knots of the accompanying adornments. The fragrance – a combination of cypress, frankincense, and ginger – is both grounding and gently stimulating, offering emotional balance and presence. Mixed and poured by hand, the blend transforms making and wearing into an ongoing act of mindfulness.
Leather knots, resting within the forms of a bracelet, ear cuff, and necklace, become pulse points of interaction, absorbing the fragrance that lingers subtly throughout the day.
Crafted from sterling silver and soft deer hide leather, the adornments’ minimalist, organic forms are designed for everyday wear – allowing ritual and adornment to merge seamlessly with daily life. The use of deer hide becomes a tactile extension of the skin, balancing the cool permanence of silver with the warmth of a natural material.
At the heart of this series lies the fusion of two timeless gestures: adorning the body and applying fragrance. Together, they transform routine into ritual, encouraging mindfulness and personal connection. Through the simplicity of form and material, these works invite the wearer to cultivate a subtle, ongoing relationship with themselves – to carry their scent, their story, and their presence as quiet expressions of self-care and identity.
