Lucie & Michael: Studio Visit
Artists Lucie & Michael at Chandler House
Artists and creative collaborators Lucie de Moyencourt and Michael Chandler work alongside each other at their studios within Chandler House—a gallery and store in the heart of Cape Town, curated by Michael and showcasing the work of local artists and artisans. The pair share a similar, seemingly inexhaustible joie de vivre and boundless work ethic, as well as a love for illustration and ceramics – mediums they combine in the large-scale tiled mural commissions they often work on together.
We photographed the charismatic duo in Karu at the end of last year as they prepared for a show of ceramics – Michael’s ‘Afrochine’ vases and Lucie’s Seashells – and asked them to answer some questions about themselves and each other, to see quite how close these two friends and studio neighbors are...
When are you / {Lucie/Michael} happiest
Lucie:
Finding good shells is definitely one of my favorite pastimes. Also swimming in the sea, eating lots and lots of popcorn or pasta, and sketching for myself.
Michael likes sharding, or shell collecting, I think shell collecting tops sharding (sharding is our made up word for finding shards of old ceramics).
Michael:
I’m happiest when I am sharding (looking for shards of ancient blue and white porcelain) in very old vineyards.
Lucie is happiest when she is at a party and drawing scenes of it in one of her notebooks. She gets to be creative and social at the same time—a true gemini!
What is your / {Lucie’s/Michael’s} favourite time of day?
Lucie:
Early morning first thing! That’s when I’ve have quiet time and listen to my audiobooks, make my ceramic shells and drink coffee.
Michael loves the evenings because that’s when he goes up the mountain or drinks wine and eats Clarkes chips!
Michael:
I never thought I’d say this, but I love the morning! I wake up and make a moka pot of coffee, which I drink out of the finest 19th Century porcelain tea cup. I turn on a German opera radio station and then begin to draw or paint some ceramic commission. It sounds naff but it’s the best way to start the day.
Lucie’s favourite time of the day is probably the morning too. In the mornings before work, Lucie likes to create new ceramic shells while she sips away at her back coffee.
What is your / {Lucie’s/Michael’s} favourite plant of flower?
Lucie:
Mine is a Palm tree.
Michael’s are whatever flowers are on the Arita plate (he keeps drawing them over and over.)
Michael:
I am obsessed with Prickly Pears (Opuntia) at the moment!
Lucie doesn’t like flowers that much - so I’d have to say her favourite member of the plant kingdom is a tree - a palm tree.
What phrase or word do you / {Lucie/Michael} say all the time?
Lucie:
Me: “Don't Fill the hole!”
Michael: “Fill the hole!”
Michael:
Me: “Who put this into the rubbish bin? It can be recycled!”
Lucie: “Stuh-ninnnnng!"
What do you love most about sharing a studio space with each other?
Lucie:
Michael is hilarious and inspiring, there is never a dull moment as we are both constantly trying to shape our practice and deal with clients, commissions, exhibition etc so it’s invaluable to have him as my friend to bounce around with ( especially after litres of coffee, then we are literally bouncing and listening to the Matilda soundtrack together!)
Michael:
Constant positivity, constant critical feedback, constant support, constant laughter! My work and world is so much better because of our proximity.
Chandler House is located at 53 Church Street, Cape Town. Follow @chandlerhousect and @mrchandlerhouse on Instagram.
Lucie is preparing for her second show of ceramic shells, opening April 1st. Follow @lucie.in.wonderlands for her adventures in Cape Town and soon Cannes, where she will be sketching the everyday activities of the annual film festival.