Renée Kemps is a photographer and creative director, living between London and Tokyo. Her work moves between photography, design, spaces, and objects. She is also the founder of SANMAI, where the timeless beauty of Japanese tea meets modern well-being.
I have lived and worked in many places, but Japan has shaped me the most. The quiet beauty of its architecture, its landscapes, and its tea culture continues to draw me back. Spending time there, especially in the countryside, has deepened my appreciation for how rituals and craftsmanship are essential in every aspect of daily life. In contrast to the rush and stress of places elsewhere, Japan has taught me the beauty of stillness, presence, and moving with intention in everything we do. They now shape the way I work, create, and live.
I have always been drawn to simplicity and quality, and to the idea that objects, whether clothing, architecture, or design, should feel timeless and intentional. Róhe captures that perfectly. Each piece is crafted with care, refined and subtle, designed to last and move with us through the shifting moments of life.
My own work shares that sensibility. It is rooted in simplicity, yet always with warmth and attention to fleeting moments of beauty in light, shadow, texture, and form. Róhe’s pieces are pared back and minimal, yet they carry softness and strength in their textures, cuts, and shapes, echoing the same balance I strive for in my own creative practice.
Which artists do you feel most connected to, and what is it about their work that speaks to you?
I admire the work of calligrapher Hidai Nankoku. His work balances abstraction with tradition. My favorite pieces are the ones with the simplest brushstrokes and the largest empty spaces. I also love the work of Roger Ackling. He created his pieces by focusing sunlight through a magnifying glass onto wood or paper, burning lines into the surface. His process was incredibly slow, patient, and meditative. It reminds me of Japan, and the dedication to craftsmanship and time as a material.
What sparked your interest in making matcha a daily practice?
Matcha is grounding to me. Preparing it asks you to slow down, even if only for a few minutes. It becomes a ritual for the self, a moment of reflection, stillness, and balance. It nourishes us not only through its minerals and antioxidants, but also through the way it restores body and mind. The preparation is a quiet ceremony for the self.
SANMAI reimagines modern well-being through daily rituals inspired by the timeless beauty of the Japanese tea ceremony. Rooted in rare cultivars and generations of craftsmanship, it refines the heritage of Japanese tea into contemporary rituals of well-being. Extending into wellness, beauty, and home, it enhances the everyday with elegance and serenity, blending tradition with contemporary life.
SANMAI began through meeting local families who have cultivated tea and made utensils for over twenty generations. In their devotion and knowledge was something so special, and essential to preserve. Every field and every vessel, carried the memory of their care and dedication. These teas and objects were not just products produced for empty consumption. They were an essential part of living traditions, carrying forward the stories and character of those who shaped them.
As you move between the Netherlands, Japan, and many other places, how do you find balance, and maintain the rituals that keep you grounded?
Balance is never fixed; it shifts with the phases of life. Many places move with a certain rush, but Japan is different. It holds a quietness that grounds me in a way I have not found anywhere else. For me, balance lives in rituals and in the smallest daily pauses—often as simple as making tea, a small act that restores and resets. These small rituals bring continuity, grounding, and a sense of belonging in any place. Tea has become a daily companion. The ritual of preparing matcha or brewing loose leaves allows me to slow down, to pause, and to reset. I’m not drawn to long meditations or silence alone; it is in these quiet, deliberate acts that I find stillness.
My favorite place is where our tea fields are. You can’t get there by car, there are no people, there’s just the rolling hills of tea plants, stretching out towards the mountains. The air is cool and crisp, untouched by pollution. I love being there alone, watching the sun set over the fields.
