CAFE: CONTEMPORARY ART FRAGRANCE EXHIBITION OPENS IN KYOTO
April 23–26, 2026 | Limited-session exhibition in a restored Kyoto machiya
CAFE (Contemporary Art Fragrance Exhibition) reimagines the café as a space for experiencing perfume as contemporary art. Presented inside a restored Kyoto machiya townhouse, the exhibition invites visitors to sit, choose a scent from a menu, and spend time with it — much like ordering coffee. Fragrance moves from the body into space, becoming something to experience slowly, socially and spatially.
Curated by Naoko Kusunoki (Your Exclusive, Japan) and Nadia Vitlin (Vitsley Olfactive Studio, Australia), CAFE features artists from six countries and continues a series of experimental scent exhibitions across Asia. By presenting scent within a traditional Japanese setting, CAFE contributes to a broader conversation about cross-cultural exchange and the evolution of perfume from personal luxury to immersive installation.
Among the international participants is Australian perfumer Katrina Cochrane of Archer Farrar Perfume Atelier, whose work focuses on whole botanical fragrance as a sensory art form designed to evoke memory, mood and atmosphere. To preserve an intimate and contemplative atmosphere, attendance is limited to small prebooked sessions.
Exhibition Details Title:
CAFE (Contemporary Art Fragrance Exhibition)
Dates: April 23–26, 2026
Format: Interactive, session-based exhibition
Venue: OneRoom29, Kyoto
Participants:
Naoko Kusunoki (Japan) @naoko_perfumer
Katrina Cochrane (Australia) @archerfarrar
Jae Jun Hwang (Korea) @jj_perfumer
Bhakti Gandhi (India) @berzerkti
Nadia Vitlin (Australia) @vitsley
Clayton Ilolahia (Australia) @clayton_ilolahia
Daniel Pescio (Brazil) @danielpescioparfumeur
Charlie Perry (UK) @chaz_pez
For session schedules and booking information, please refer to the official ticketing links here