Isis May

Isis, could you introduce us about you and your background?

Hi! My name is Isis, born and raised in Florianópolis, an island in south Brazil. I currently live in Berlin, Germany—that soon it will be the country that I have lived in the longest after Brazil, and after having moved all over the place.

My academic background is in design, with a bachelor’s degree from UFSC, a minor in luxury business from Universitá Cattolica di Milano, and extension studies at Harvard. These experiences have much defined the lifestyle I've been having since.

Nowadays I spend most of my time working as a creative director in a design studio, and some time as a painter and goldsmith. I feel that this makes me a designer with paint-stained hands. a painter with a designer head, documenting the process.

Oh, and Isis is pronounced as "Easy's" :).

Having lived in different continents, how would you say these experiences have influenced you and your work?

It made me realize how the environment affects and transforms us. And it transforms what we already had into something new too. Going abroad is when I first started vocalizing "I'm Brazilian". I feel somehow more Brazilian outside of Brazil, meaning I'm more aware and intentionally expressive about it personally and professionally. It gave me more confidence, and even freedom, to be more colorful than is expected, to share more direct opinions, and to view my accent as an extra sauce.

In terms of appreciating the differences, it is very formative to live in new places. I consumed so much American and European entertainment in my childhood that I had a huge idealization of the foreign world. Living abroad brings clarity to the fact that every culture has a little beauty and a little ugliness at the same time. To be aware of this is to have more tools to sew the lifestyle quilt that you want to have.

And about your way of living, how would you say it was influenced by the different cultures you have lived with?

A funny situation happened to me as soon as I moved to Germany that is a good illustration of this. My health plan here gives preference to consultations at home, so when I had a migraine, a German doctor came to my house. She prescribed a list of regular pharmacy pills, some tea, and the most important, a plant. And she was very emphatic about the importance of not only having plants but having plants with roots and flowers that give us a sense of belonging and the passage of time. Therefore, my migraine could have a lot to do with the stress of an unfinished home. Here, the importance given to plants is such that, even in downtown Berlin where I live, it's much much easier to find a 24hrs flower shop than a 24h drugstore. I already loved flowers, but now I will probably always have at least a few flowers at home.

I have so many examples of other, stronger habits. Being from Brazil, I still have the habit of taking off my shoes before entering the house and having my clothes for home and clothes for the street. I always have a fruit bowl, too, probably with at least a few bananas. From my time in Milan, I definitely brought the aperitivo culture of always having some cheeses, jams, and bread at home. I love serving drinks in various types of glasses—this is a bit of a guilty pleasure. From the United States, I would say that there is always a candle at home and a cozy blanket on the couch. Adapting the house according to the seasons has become more intentional over time, especially when it gets cold.

Do you feel that your everyday rituals change according to where you are living or do you prefer to have a routine that you bring wherever you go?

Well, I think that when you really move to a new place, you cannot escape redoing even the most routine decisions, from choosing the cleaning products to the comfort food you always have in the pantry. It's fun at first, but it gets tiring over time, even more so over a few countries. But there are some good adaptations: in Berlin, almost nothing opens on Sundays. Not supermarkets, shopping malls, or even pharmacies. But the flower shops open, some even 24h, and have the most exquisite flowers. So every Sunday, the ritual is to make the house bloom.

At the same time, I am quite attached to a few dear items that are almost amulets. I love my bath towels, my fluffy bath carpet, and my tea strainer. They are very important to calm down when I miss my past homes. And whenever I can, I bring a ton of Brazilian soap bars and home perfumes in my suitcase.

Which everyday ritual is the most grounding for you? And how does it influence the rest of your day?

Showering for sure! I have always loved showers and it has a lot to do with these amulets that I told you about. I'm very careful about not rushing through it and nothing can make me skip it. I always leave the shower with more mental clarity and often with solutions and good arguments. It's a meditation moment: from the contact with the water to the moisturizer, the perfume. Some special soaps and brumas make me feel closer to Brazil. On the weekends, my tip is to put some geranium or eucalyptus essential oil in the air as well. But most importantly, I love to put the tea to infuse before I start so I even have a reward at the end.

You often photograph details of home spaces, how do you think you can transform a house into a home? And how could you see glimpses of Isis in all spaces you have lived?

In my view, the home has to be the intimacy you have with space and spontaneous organizations you make. The home comes to life when we have our favorite mug or the go-to knife when we know where the sun touches at 3 pm and where the goddamn furniture that we always stub our toe on is. It has to be the scenery of several memories too, as when you sit on the couch in a way that brings back that conversation to someone who came to visit. So I wouldn't say it's related to a type of object—I think it's about putting the objects to dance at your own rhythm.

In that sense, near the light, there is always a trace of me. The most used, and sometimes the most worn and disorganized parts are near a window. Maybe I will have a couple of paint brushes drying after cleaning, a blanket, a candle, a book with several papers coming out. My house sometimes smells like flowers, candles, and a little bit of turpentine. And there is usually music playing.

Thank you, Isis!

✿

Photography: Isis May.