Katie Helm
graphic design // linktr.ee/katiehelmdesign // @katieladybug3Memories Captured in Candles (Naturally Derived from the Hippocampus)
Memories Captured in Candles (Naturally Derived from the Hippocampus) is a collection of significant moments I have experienced over the past 6 years (2018 to 2023) represented as scented candles. Most candles in this collection have fragrances that symbolize key moments from each particular memory. For example, making pancakes with my mom will smell like maple syrup, an outdoor picnic will smell like green grass, and so on. “Enjoying the Moment” from 2023 has no added or intended fragrance as it represents memories made during the creation of this project as well as the present moment that the viewer experiences while the work is on display in the gallery.
Between moments of grief, joy, anxiety, love, and any other emotion, I tend to romanticize most aspects of my life and search for the natural beauty of the everyday. It was important to me from the beginning that this project would be an exigence for an idea with personal connection or meaning. These candles and their components aim to blend graphic design elements with self-expression. Burning candles fade with time, as do memories. If I allow a candle to burn, it would mask the natural scent of the room. If I sit and long for the past, feel regretful, or wonder what could have been, I am no longer conscious of the present, and I lose myself in my own past. But right now, this is the present, and I am alive.
