Appointment with Umami

Inès Angelini, founder of the studio Umami, transforms ceramics into a sensory and emotional experience, seeking to bring calm and comfort to everyday life. Her unconventional path, marked by a career change from law to design and deeply inspired by Mediterranean light, has given birth to an aesthetic where organic material meets family roots, as evidenced by her iconic Mediterranean Vase. Through her work exhibited at RART, she champions the idea of slow, poetic art as a true response to the pressures of the modern world, where each piece becomes an unbreakable bond between generations and memories.

1/ What is the emotion or main message you hope to convey through your works?

Through my work, I seek above all to convey a certain sensitivity. I love the idea that they can touch, soothe, and comfort. I imagine them as pieces that come to inhabit an interior and become part of the life of a home.
That is precisely why the name Umami imposed itself. Like the fifth taste in gastronomy, it evokes something profoundly emotional, almost in the realm of Proust’s madeleine. I like to think of my objects as daily presences: pieces one lives with, becomes attached to, keeps, and passes on.

2/ How did you find your artistic voice and what key moments shaped you as an artist?

My journey has been quite unconventional, as I don’t come from an artistic background. I first studied law, even though I was always deeply drawn to the world of design. During my studies, I spent more time putting together inspiration boards on Tumblr and then Pinterest than working on my coursework.
This sensitivity already existed through reading, fashion, music, and images. Then, somewhat by chance, I signed up for an evening ceramics class. And there, I immediately understood that it was a medium that allowed me to express something that had been dormant in me for a very long time.
The real turning point was the birth of my first daughter. It was a period of great upheaval, sometimes difficult, but also profoundly liberating. Paradoxically, becoming a mother gave me more strength. As if being responsible for a child allowed me to fully embrace myself as a woman and finally grant myself permission to take this artistic path.

3/ To what extent has your artistic vision evolved since your beginnings?

It is constantly evolving, even if I remain deeply faithful to what shaped me: the South of France, the Mediterranean, the light, and the sea. I grew up surrounded by these landscapes, but also by artistic references like Cocteau, Picasso, or Capron.
All of that remains very rooted in me. But over time, I trust myself more. Today, I try to create without waiting for an immediate return, without trying to please at all costs. I believe that it is precisely in this form of freedom that the most sincere things are born.
Another very important moment was my trip to Japan. Their relationship with ceramics, glazes, and the concept of "slow time" deeply influenced my work. This made me want to explore the material further and state the identity of Umami more clearly.

4/ Is there a recurring theme in your work?

Yes, most certainly that of the South and the Mediterranean. Even when forms, clays, or glazes evolve, one always finds that same sunny, organic, and mineral sensitivity. It is an aesthetic that is part of who I am.

5/ How does the relationship with your audience influence your creations?

I can make custom pieces, but they must always resonate with my world. My creative process is very instinctive: if a subject doesn't touch me, I am unable to translate it into an object.
There must be an encounter between the client's vision and my own. A mutual, almost natural influence. That is the condition for creation to come to life.

6/ Can you tell us about a piece that has particular significance for you?

The most iconic piece of my work is probably the Mediterranean Vase, with its ceramic chains.
I created it during a period when I was spending a lot of time with my grandfather, who was suffering from ALS and who was a foundational figure in my life. We spent a lot of time together, especially at sea. When he was no longer able to return to his boat, I wanted to create a piece that would remind him of this Mediterranean world to which he was deeply linked.
The chains symbolize both anchorage and connection. I also liked the idea that this ceramic, once fired, becomes extremely solid—to the point where one can carry the vase by its chains. For me, it represented something indestructible: this family bond that transcends everything.

7/ What are the main difficulties you encounter as an artist?

My greatest difficulty is not so much related to being an artist as it is to being a woman and a mother.
Every day, I try to balance the development of Umami with my family life and the time I want to spend with my children. That time is precious because it cannot be recovered.
At the same time, I must continue to create, to renew myself, to breathe energy into the project. Making a living from one's passion is a huge stroke of luck, but it also requires a lot of emotional investment. There is always that fear of the ephemeral, that desire to make what we build last.
Finding a balance between these different dimensions is sometimes demanding, but it is also what gives meaning to it all.

8/ As an artist exhibited at RART, what do you think of the idea of art as a response to the pressures of the modern world?

I think art is a form of soothing. It allows us to slow down, to contemplate, and to put a little poetry back into a daily life that often moves too fast.
Ceramics, in particular, are tied to the concept of "slow time." Each piece requires patience, attention, and sometimes silence. And that goes completely against the current pace.
That is why being exhibited in a gallery that champions this vision touches me particularly. I find it important today to highlight objects that carry meaning, material, and emotion.

umami-tasses-1-lumière