Archivi tag: aromatic raw materials

Aromatherapy, Madagascar, Materia Viva in English

Materia Viva n.10 — Ramy, the resin of Madagascar

Each issue of Materia Viva begins with an aromatic material and follows it the way one follows a trail: not only its scent, but the landscape, the history, the gestures, the images and the words that material carries with it.

ramy canarium madagascariense

This time the thread leads to Madagascar, to the coasts where Ramy grows — Canarium madagascariense, one of the giants of the rainforest, able to reach nearly forty metres in height and two in diameter. It is a tree that lets itself be gathered while walking: the resin flows out on its own along the trunk, and whoever passes by takes a little, in a gesture the local people themselves describe as ordinary. The wood, on the other hand, almost always remains intact. Ramy is among the least felled trees, often the only one left standing in a ploughed field, spared even when firewood is needed.

If you love resins, you may read Materia Viva about Sumatra Benzoin.

The ezine is an independent editorial project, supported by private funding, and you can receive a free PDF copy. For any details about the project and how to support it, write to us via the WhatsApp button on the site or by email: professionefelice@gmail.com

Materia Viva in English

Materia Viva n.5, the Aromatic Ezine – Camellia japonica, the Japanese Camellia

Materia Viva is a work in progress dedicated to aromatic raw materials: resins, plants, woods, essences, balsams, flowers, seeds, roots.

It arises where scent, word, image, and research meet. Of each material, what matters is not only its effect, but everything that accompanies it: where it comes from, which landscape generates it, which hands have gathered it, how it has become a symbol.

It is at once a cultural notebook and a sensory experience. Each material is traced back to its origin, through lands and customs, ancient trade routes, archives, faces, and sudden intuitions. Starting from a resin, a wood, a flower, the thread is followed: clues are gathered, the scent is listened to, an image is pursued, until a form surfaces.

Part of this work lives in texts and digital publications; another part becomes original artwork, printed in fine art.

The latest issue is dedicated to Camellia japonica. Here is an excerpt:

I close my eyes. My fingertips move across the skin of my face — tapping lightly, tracing small circles. I use an oil that flows easily, weightless to the touch. I bring my fingers to my nose, and this time the scent is the faintest thing: no floral fragrance, but rather a delicacy that speaks directly to the skin — making it immediately supple, glad. This is how I first meet Camellia japonica, a plant with full, red flowers that seems at first to promise perfume, and instead delivers care through the oil pressed from its seeds.

You can receive a free PDF copy by writing to us via the WhatsApp button on the site. Read more about Materia Viva, or continue to the next issue: Black Mitcham Peppermint