Just as umami brings depth and harmony to a dish, Alain Ellouz’s new lighting collection seeks to capture that same emotional resonance in light. Created in collaboration with interior architect Ana Moussinet, Umami is shaped by the pursuit of emotion, balance, and timelessness – qualities the duo shares despite their distinct creative worlds. Together, they’ve crafted a sculptural collection inspired by Shun, the Japanese idea of nature at its fleeting peak expression.
The Umami collection features six pieces: three floor lamps and three sconces. Each one was designed to evoke depth and emotion, much like a Japanese haiku, where brevity doesn’t limit expression but sharpens it. In the same way, these sculptural forms invite a lingering gaze. The longer you sit with their presence, details, and silhouettes, the more their quiet complexity reveals itself.
The name of each light is rooted in nature: Hinone (the root of fire), Hinoki (the tree of fire), Hinoso (white breath), Inoha (the leaf of life), Iyouha (the graceful leaf in motion), and Isouha (the resounding leaf). When illuminated, each piece glows from within, its warmth diffused through alabaster that has been strengthened with Stonelight®, a patented treatment developed by Alain Ellouz. The result is stone that’s durable, safe, and long-lasting, yet still retains the softness and purity that define its light.
Umami ultimately reflects a simple idea: when materials, intuition, and emotion meet, light becomes something that’s felt as much as it is seen.
To learn more about the Umami collection by Alain Ellouz and Ana Moussinet, visit alain-ellouz-paris.com.