Botanical art and fragrance share a unique ability to evoke emotion, memory, and a deep connection to the natural world. In this exclusive interview, we sit down with Dr. Christian Thompson AO, a celebrated contemporary artist known for his exploration of identity, landscape, and the cultural significance of native Australian flora. Recognised by Vogue Living as a leading First Nations artist using his work for truth-telling, Thompson’s artistic vision is deeply intertwined with nature, storytelling, and heritage.
Goldfield & Banks, renowned for its luxury perfumes inspired by Australia’s rich botanical landscape, brings this connection to life through scent. Here, Christian uncovers how Australia’s native plants shape both his visual and our olfactory experiences.
Australian botanicals are central to Goldfield & Banks’ fragrances. How do native plants, landscapes, or their symbolic meanings inspire your artistic process?
I'm deeply drawn to the esoteric nature of the natural world—the idea that plants hold spiritual meaning and ancient wisdom. For me, Australia’s native flora is more than just a visual or olfactory inspiration; it’s a profound connection to my identity as a Bidjara person.
These plants, found nowhere else in the world, are living symbols of this land, carrying stories that resonate deeply with me. Their presence in my work is a tribute to the unique essence of Australia and my deep-rooted bond with it.
Your work often blends personal heritage with the Australian environment. Can you share a memory or experience in nature that has shaped your creative vision?
Growing up, my family moved all over Australia, following my father’s career in the Royal Australian Air Force. But no matter where we lived, Christmas and Easter were always spent back home in Barcaldine, in the heart of central western Queensland. It’s a semi-arid hinterland, but in winter, the landscape undergoes an extraordinary transformation—desert flowers bloom, turning the rugged terrain into a vivid floral wonderland.
This annual spectacle remains one of my most powerful childhood memories. Native flowers have captivated me ever since, becoming a recurring theme in my work for over 25 years.
Botanicals carry stories and emotions in both art and fragrance. Is there a particular plant or flower that resonates deeply in your work, and why?
Whenever we travelled home, the scent of the Queensland desert was my first welcome back—gidgee bark, eucalyptus, and the dry, sun-warmed earth. That fragrance was my signal that I was home, back on my own country.
Even now, as I describe it, I can almost smell it again. Scent has this incredible ability to transport us, and for me, those native aromas will always be intertwined with my sense of belonging.
Many of your pieces feel deeply rooted in the sensory experience of place. If one of your artworks were translated into a fragrance, what notes or scents would it feature?
Without a doubt, it would capture the soul of the Australian landscape—the rich, smoky depth of Acacia Cambagei (Gidgee bark), the golden warmth of Wattle, the crisp green brightness of myrtle, and the unmistakable clarity of Eucalyptus. That's why I believe Goldfield & Banks fragrances tell the story of Australian flora in such a distinctive way.
Each scent captures the essence of the land with remarkable authenticity—like the golden wattle in Velvet Splendour, radiating warmth, or the crisp, woody freshness of eucalyptus in Blue Cypress, evoking the heart of the Australian landscape.
Discover the complete Botanical collection here.
