“Each fragrance is related to an artist or a cultural discovery. Pigmentarium does not see itself as a perfume brand, because it is focused on the art of living; it is a platform that also connects Czech artists and craftspeople to highlight the treasures of Prague.”
— Tomas Ric, co-founder & CEO
Pigmentarium is a Czech fragrance house founded in 2018 by creative duo Tomas Ric and Jakub F. Hiermann. Jakub trained in perfumery in London before returning to his home city of Prague. Born from a passion for the profound stories that can be conveyed through scent, the name of the brand refers to the world of painting and the Latin inscriptions that dot the façades of Prague’s main buildings. Their olfactory creations are narratives captured in bottles – blending the finest ingredients with the art of perfumery.
So familiar, yet new. Chypre perfume Ad Libitum was inspired by the glow of the sunset over Prague Castle. The fading light of an energetic day symbolises the upcoming nightlife. The first contact is mediated by refreshing citruses elegantly covered by the touch of aldehydes. Delicate jasmine and monumental cedar develop the scent in its heart up to the unusual scent of moss, patchouli, and musk. It all results in an elegant and slightly nostalgic fragrance that mirrors Prague in the way it might have been seen by Adolf Loos and Le Corbusier.
Erotikon does not hide at all its inspiration from Gustav Machatý’s once scandalous film. The work, viewed from today’s perspective, is quite the opposite. What used to be an unprecedented revelation is today a sophisticated hiding. Erotikon tells a story of love and lust. The top notes of chocolate, ginger, and pink pepper are a prelude to the sensual warmth of vanilla and powdery tonka bean at the heart. The erotic charge of the composition is enhanced by magical amber together with musk, patchouli, and sandalwood in the base. Elegant or seductive, you decide.
A fragrance as refreshing as an intense gasp. It is a private and personal fragrance with remnants of citrus without actually containing any. The first contact with the perfume stirs laurel dreamily rounded with aldehydes. Verbena, lily of the valley, and green apple symbolising fragile innocence sparkle in its heart. The scent of fig leaves, rosewood, musk, and ambergris develops in the base of the perfume. Together they evoke a sense of knowledge. Genesis evokes the innocence each of us used to have inside.
A scent that evokes a holiday on the Cote d’Azur. The shade of the trees protects a cool pool from the hot rays of the sun. Ice clinks in glasses. The fresh scent of grapefruit and mandarin, evoking a feeling of happiness, is enhanced by the sparkle of pepper and juicy rhubarb. These are developed by green vetiver and elegant patchouli. Ambra closes the whole composition and adds an irresistibly seductive animalistic character.
A classic and intoxicating amber fragrance inspired by the tumultuous relationship between Napoleon and his Josephine. A fragrance that, like a whisper, floats on a cloud of mystery. The unmissable, monumentally seductive, fusion of oud, ambergris, and sandalwood is complemented by damask rose and a sensual charge of pulsating musk and civet.
An olfactory work that was created on real and imaginary journey between Prague and Paris. The perfume drawing contrast between the dynamics of the city, where the day already belongs to tomorrow, and the space of old church, under whose vaults time has stopped. The contrast of two moments that can be connected in one moment. The moment of becoming present. The first touch belongs to the rare Madagascar mandarin and Egyptian neroli, which symbolise light. The citrus-floral opening is elegantly tart, clean, and unique. Gradually it turns into a spiritual scent of incense and cedar, which is complemented by jasmine in the heart. An accord of opoponax resin together with patchouli oil closes the base of the perfume with a classic balsamic and cooling accent, an expression of darkness that then lets us see light.
The rich cultural history of Czech literature, music, and architecture, as well as the famous avant-garde movements, are channelled in the Pigmentarium fragrances. The brand regularly collaborate with contemporary artists from different fields, for example, Genesis was released with a series of photographs of Prague interiors by photographic artist Hana Knizová, in collaboration with an exhibition of artworks by sculptor Tereza Štětinová.
The brand’s latest collaboration took inspiration from the fine arts, leading to the limited-edition Prague Olibanum incense sticks. Contemporary Czech painter, Lucie Jindrák Skrivánková, designed the visual concept of the product, which evokes the scent of Prague’s old world. She worked with black, matte textures and gold decoration, giving a unique experience to the touch and representing the extravagance of the city and the brand.
Pigmentarium continue to collaborate with international artists, including poet Michaela Fenkl, sculptor Pauline Hagant, and fashion designer Arturo Obegero, all of whom have become ambassadors for the brand.
Sustainability, ethical practice, and locally driven thinking are the company’s core. The fragrances are produced by hand in the Pigmentarium atelier in Czechia, and the packaging is made by Studio Činčera, a family-owned company in Prague.
