Renewal & Reflection: Incense Collection Marks Time

Scorch in Time 

As we step into the rhythm of a new year, Yang's collection Scorch in Time offers a thoughtful exploration of reflection through craft. The work emerges from memories of traditional Chinese temples, where the burning of incense creates profound connections between the living and those who have passed on. It reveals profound connections between ritual, memory, and time.

The collection centres on the act of burning incense as a medium of connection. In Chinese traditions, it is believed that when incense ash falls upon someone during prayer, it signals their prayers have been heard by higher spirits. Yang translates this deeply meaningful practice into wearable pieces that embody memory and connection.

Crafted in brass and richly adorned metal, each piece serves as both jewellery and incense holder. The material holds particular significance—as incense burns against the metal surface, its oils subtly alter the colour of each piece. Over time, these gentle changes accumulate, with each burning ritual leaving its mark, allowing the metal to develop a unique character that captures personal moments.

The 'Breathe' series, created with 1.1mm incense, demonstrates particular innovation in its exploration of yearning through controlled burn patterns. Through careful experimentation with the burning process, Yang developed techniques to create intersecting marks that visualise four distinct emotional stages: overwhelming, desire, acceptance, and calm. The process requires precise control of variables such as the incense's distance from the metal surface and burning duration, resulting in patterns that speak to the evolution of grief and memory.

This collection transforms traditional temple rituals into portable acts of reflection. In a world where people often live far from their ancestral temples, these pieces enable wearers to maintain spiritual connections wherever they may be. Each burning mark becomes a physical testament to moments of reflection, creating unique patterns that tell deeply personal stories.

As the year unfolds, through material experimentation, this work demonstrates how artefacts can hold our emotions and facilitate healing. By synthesising ancestral ritual practices with contemporary fabrication methodologies, Yang develops wearable interfaces that operate as both passive recording mechanisms and active facilitators of memory processing.

To complement these moments of reflection, we've curated a trio of scents for our incense cones, including Juniper, Pluviophile and Bog Myrtle.

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References: Zeyu (Alees) Yang