shy guy

Cape Town artist, illustrator and designer Michael Chandler lives a beautiful life. Ingrid Corbett caught up with him to talk about where he finds inspiration and what he'll be doing next.

Eight years ago, more or less, while I was browsing a rather cool collection of kitchenalia at Vamp (one of my all-time favourite home decor stores in Cape Town), my eye was drawn to a pie dish that featured a flock of birds drawn in simple but bold black lines. Four-and-twenty-blackbirds' to be precise. I'm not a baker, but that didn't matter one bit. The combination of clever craftsmanship and tongue-in-cheek humour made me an instant fan of Michael Chandler.

A celebrated local artist, illustrator and designer, Michael is what I can only describe as an old soul. He knows an enviable amount about art and astrology and nature and textiles and ceramics and interior design and one particular part of Italy. He is easy-going, and refreshingly humble, and when I met him for the first time he nattered away about this and that, as if we had known each other for years.

Growing up in East London, Michael was only 10 years old when he decided he was determined to find a way to make every day extraordinary, a quest that led him to explore a number of creative disciplines ranging from needlework to flower arranging to painting, doodling and even breeding tropical fish.

In 2000, he moved to Cape Town, where he matriculated from Rondebosch Boys High School a few years later. In 2004, Michael enrolled at the University of Cape Town to pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Curious by nature, Michael went on to complete his honours in Art History, which allowed him to explore the movements that influenced important works from the Renaissance era through to the age of contemporary and modern art. After graduating, he worked at several respected fine art auction houses and galleries where he expanded his extensive knowledge of antiques, paintings and ceramic art.