Anna Roh – Founder of Studio Anarium (Archive)

I am Anna Roh, a mother of two daughters and the founder of Studio Anarium.

In September 2007, I came to Vancouver, Canada with a dream of pursuing a career in fashion and studying English. At the time, it felt like both a challenge and an opportunity. Life, however, does not always unfold as planned. In 2009, I got married and soon found myself living a life centered on family and childcare. During those years, Vancouver’s natural landscapes became my quiet place of healing and rest.

In 2013, we moved to Alberta, where long winters and a sense of isolation became part of daily life. During that period, I turned to gardening, drawing, crafting, and decorating as personal ways to keep my spirit alive. Among these practices, scent and candles emerged as a particularly gentle source of comfort.

When I first discovered soy candles, I was drawn to their natural simplicity and warmth. I began making them for myself, without intention or expectation beyond the act itself.

What started as a simple hobby gradually became a quiet ritual of mindfulness—a way to protect my inner self during difficult seasons. Candles made for personal use occasionally became gifts for others, and those small gestures formed a continuous thread that helped carry me through challenging times.

Even when circumstances made it difficult to continue, I held on to candle-making as a private channel through which I could remain connected to who I was.

In 2021, I returned to British Columbia with my children, seeking protection, stability, and space to recover. Life as a single mother was not easy, but within that time I slowly reclaimed lost hopes and directions. I found the courage to imagine again, and the strength to take gentle steps forward.

That small flame, first lit years ago, became known as pompomislove in 2015, and later took shape as Studio Anarium.

Today, it remains a personal creative archive—a reflection of a journey once lived.