Michael Chandler

Ceramic decorator | Cape Town, South Africa

Whimsical storytelling in white and blue

Michael has been working with clay since he was four years old
In 2010, he opened his studio and shop in Cape Town
He enjoys being able to pass on advice to young creatives

Michael Chandler is a self-taught decorative painter and ceramicist who creates commissioned pieces with cobalt blue on porcelain. He studied visual art history at the University of Cape Town, and then worked in the fine and decorative art auction world. Nature and astrology are Michael's main sources of inspiration. Through his works, he aims to bring the past into the present with a dose of whimsy, joy and humour. "People are often surprised that I do everything myself. I do not have assistance with painting the tiles, every brush stroke is applied with my own hand,” he says. A lot of Michael's work is very personal to those who commission the pieces. “I appreciate this rather quirky aspect of my work,” he explains.

Interview

How would you describe what you do?: I tell stories with my pieces, whether through a quick drawing in a notebook or a massive mural commission. I try not to take myself too seriously. I like that my work comes from a place of joy, and I hope it keeps spreading that same sentiment long after I am gone.
Do you master any specific techniques?: Having worked with blue and white ceramic underglaze for over 10 years, working in one colour is my most honed and defining skill. Today, I can tell how light or dark a mark will be based on how heavy my brush is.
What is a memorable moment in your practice?: A building's façade in Miami had been entirely covered by my hand-painted tiles. As I paint my work in panels, I had not seen them all together as one unified image. The scale of the project still stands out for me as a career highlight.
Do you work with special materials ?: I have recently been experimenting with ochre, a naturally-occurring pigment. It is part of an old South African tradition of rock art, painted by the San and Khoikhoi ethnic groups.

Michael Chandler is an expert artisan: he began his career in 2007