Inès Angelini, the taste of life!

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Five years ago, after becoming aware, Inès Angelini decided to give meaning to her life. From lawyer to ceramic artist, she dared to take the plunge for a return to the essentials: Earth. The artist welcomes us to her Umami Ceramic workshop in Mougins and tells us the touching story of her professional reconversion.

In her charming house adorned with wisteria and green shutters, Inès Angelini welcomed me. The pool, with its secluded sun loungers, offers a breathtaking view of the village of Mougins. Here, everything is tranquility and beauty... In this idyllic setting, down below, lies her workshop named Umami Ceramic. Escorted by Octave, an elegant Weimaraner, and Janis, a somewhat runaway young Labradoodle, we made our way there. The space is spacious and bright, with shelves decorated with superb vases, lamps, and dishware, all crafted by her hands. We settled at the large table in the workshop that had hosted a workshop just a few hours earlier. Inès, aged 34, tells us how she became a ceramist.

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Earthly Happiness

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Born in Nice, the young woman pursued law studies which she decided to complete in Paris "to see something different." She even began working there, dreaming of the French Institute of Fashion until a visit from her mother... "I suddenly felt the urge to go back with her. And I did! I missed my family too much." Family is sacred to Inès. Her younger sister Marine, 30, is "the love of her life." It is thanks to this close-knit and loving family that Inès became a ceramist. After a few years working as a lawyer in intellectual property at a company in Monaco, she became pregnant. However, despite this happy event and buying a beautiful house, not everything was rosy. Inès was stressed at work, she had to take forced rest, and suffered a traumatic childbirth. Several difficult months followed until she signed up, to clear her mind, for a pottery class. It was an epiphany in one session. "Clay is extremely meditative. I immediately felt the good it did me, the texture, the focus, the escape... I needed that. Every week, I looked forward to additional classes. I improved until I turned thirty... Seeing the joy this activity brought me, my husband Marvin and my family came together to gift me all the equipment needed to practice at home. I got the potter's wheel, the kiln... Then, the first lockdown came as a blessing." The couple took turns taking care of their daughter. The budding young artist devoted more and more time to her new passion. She got better, found meaning in her life. As her wedding approached, she made gifts for the guests, a hundred plates, while her shares on social media continually attracted more followers...

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‍A family story...
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Everything began to expand thanks to her grandfather, who was suffering from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). "Every Thursday, to entertain him, I would bring him my new creations, and since he was skilled at everything, he would help me with the electrical fittings for my lamps. For Christmas, I spent a lot of time creating my first vase with boat chains in my little cabin-workshop at the back of the garden. This model immediately became a hit on my Instagram account @umami_ceramic. As soon as I posted it, three people ordered it. That's when my husband (a real estate entrepreneur, editor's note) encouraged me to turn it into my profession and helped me with the business and financial aspects. He gave me confidence. I don't know if I would have taken the leap without him." Shortly after the beloved grandfather's death, Catherine, Inès’s mother, was greatly distressed. "To help her, I suggested she take up embroidery again, which she did when I was a child. Since then, she has been making lampshades, tablecloths, and napkins by selecting the fabrics and customizing them by hand!" Thanks to this teamwork, mother and daughter create unique pieces on demand. On the online store, the collections with sweet Corsican names, inspired by Inès’s paternal origins (Terra, Amoureux, Ombra, Gioia), are shipped all over France and to corners of Europe, and sometimes even further!

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Long-lasting aesthetics
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Vases, dishes, lamps, candles—all these objects are passionately designed and a pleasure to behold in one's home, and to later pass on, much like a Proustian madeleine... There’s a wealth of symbolism in the "Umami Ceramic" workshop, which celebrates craftsmanship, natural beauty, sustainable aesthetics, harmony, and above all, a zest for life. Inès shares these values with small groups during her weekly workshops, enabling anyone who wishes to create their own piece.

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