Description
Ocaña
Ocaña is a white floral fragrance where the main protagonist is Orange Blossom – a very characteristic and representative flower in Seville. Ocaña is a special tribute to José Pérez Ocaña. He was born in Cantillana, Seville in 1947 and in 1971 he moved to the city of Barcelona where he developed his artistic life. Once there, he lived in the Plaza Real. He was an icon of resistance against the Franco dictatorship during the Spanish transition. He is one of the key figures forgotten by Spanish artistic historiography. His various performances and protests, coinciding with the birth of the punk movement and the first protest movements, foreshadowed the practices of sexual and gender disobedience that began to be grouped under the name of “queer activism” in the early 1980s. He was a popular figure in Las Ramblas, who shamelessly cross-dressed in broad daylight with a mixture of Andalusianism and religiosity typical of his region, and lived surrounded by those who loved and understood him.
Thanks to figures like José Pérez Ocaña, Spain is considered one of the most culturally liberal and LGBT+ friendly countries in the world.
Perfumer
Miguel Matos has been an arts and culture journalist for the past 2 decades, and some years ago he found a way of turning an old obsession into a job: he is a scent critic and Scent Art curator.
He is one of the editors and columnists at Fragrantica.com and Fragrantica.com.br. He organizes exhibitions on art and olfaction for galleries and museums: Synesthesia Project / Per Fummum (Miguel Justino Gallery, Lisbon, 2015), Making the Body Think (Casa da Cerca Contemporary Arts Center, Almada, and Institute for Art and Olfaction, Los Angeles, 2017). He wrote the books Artistas Portugueses em Discurso Direto (Guerra e Paz ed.) and O Zodiaco Perfumado (Pergaminho ed), as well as many art shows catalogs.
He is also the creative director of a fragrance capsule collection with his name within the brand SP Parfums (Suntanglam, Lisbon Blues, Funfair and the upcoming Nowhere Fast).
He likes to talk, and he regularly hosts the series of lectures Perfume Sniffing in Lisbon as well as scented experiences with wine and scent for the Enoteca de Belém (Lisbon). Honorary member of the Perfume Bottle Association. He is a collaborator and writer for special projects at Parfums Grès.
Miguel was recently recognized on the top 5 finalists at the Fragrance Foundation Awards for Editorial Excellence in Fragrance Coverage (2017) and was also nominated for the Perfumed Plume Awards in the same year.
Miguel Matos was the winner of the best perfume in the independent category at The Art and Olfaction Awards in 2020 with the perfume Young Hearts.
