Ummu is the one woman force behind ceramic brand Ummuramics. Drawing inspiration from the beauty of the natural world, her creations embrace the joy of movement and the magical hues found in nature.
Each piece Ummu creates is vibrant, alive and so unmistakably hers, challenging our conventional expectations of functional ware.
We find her work to be a reflection of her quiet yet fierce passion, unwavering in authenticity and appreciation for the surrounding beauty of the world.
--
We've heard that your first experience with ceramics wasn't quite the start of your adventure with it. Can you share a little more about when you realised that your passion had been ignited for ceramics?
I only came to as realisation when I was reintroduced to ceramics when I was 18. (Prior to this, I had been exposed to it in secondary school but my interests lay with painting).
From that moment of reintroduction, my interest just kept rolling on, I couldn’t stop making and spent the school break back in the school studio to make. There was just this strong urge that fuelled me, I can't explain it. I guess that’s what passion is?
9 years later, here I am still, a strong desire to make, somedays the ideas are so strong, my body sort of starts craving to make. It's insane yet lovely.
In these 9 years of running Ummuramics, have there been moments of self-discovery during your journey, where you learned more about yourself and your strengths?
I learned that I doubt myself a lot and often forget to appreciate the hard work that I have put into my small business. During moments like these, I have to take a step back and realise that I am not as unorganised or unserious as I thought. So it's kind of great to acknowledge that.
On top of all the demands of being a solopreneur, working with clay can be physically demanding. How do you prioritize self-care while pursuing your passions and business goals?
I used to preach to others about taking care of their bodies, but I didn't practice it myself. Last year, I started practicing what I preach—making sure to take at least one day off during the week, not skipping meals, and not staying in the studio after 11 PM.
How has your understanding of success evolved, and what advice would you offer to your past self about defining and pursuing success on your own terms?
I am still struggling with this part. If my past self from five years ago saw how I’m doing now, she would deem it successful. But my present self now, knows that there is more to achieve out there, so I would say the same thing i’ve always said then, “It's going to be fine right?” - More like an assured question to myself.
In what ways have you learned to celebrate small victories and milestones along your journey as a form of self-acknowledgment?
I celebrate by being able to taking a long off week as much as I can after months of continuous making & treating myself to a few new things as a ‘you deserve this’ reward.
--
