Alexis Karl and Maria McElroy

Alexis Karl and Maria McElroy are artist-perfumers who together, have created immersive olfactory works for galleries around New York City, in addition to cofounding an award winning fragrance line, House of Cherry Bomb. With a signature style blending a classic meets modern aromatic sensibility, the two often use rare vintage oils blended with notes such as cement, nail polish and metal in their creations.

Past exhibited scent works include hand-collaged bottles adorned with 70’s porn magazine imagery overlaying news clips of women’s marches. Titled Pussy & Resist, the perfumes call for a women’s revolution. A past installation included immersive aroma diffusions within a large warehouse space-club setting. Blends of clove cigarettes, beer, weed, and cheap cologne evoked a 90’s night club at 4 am. The two, collaborating since 2007, believe in bridging the gap between the art and perfumery worlds, and are constantly exploring and experimenting olfactory artistic practices.

Karl is an award-winning director-filmmaker, multidisciplinary installation artist and perfumer using scent as element within her works which have been presented around the globe. Karl is professor of Art of Scent at Pratt Institute.

McElroy is an award-winning pioneering niche perfumer whose perfumes have been experienced throughout the world. She is a writer and collage artist whose works explore the delicate balance of scent and nostalgia. She is presently writing a scented memoire.