Spotlight on Our Friend - Designer, Ceramicist Michael Keith Chapman

Our creative window displays are always one of our favourite ways to celebrate any season, especially when we can get local artists involved. To celebrate having a brand new window to play with at our new 312 Hackney Road store, we ran a competition on our Instagram page to find the best, wittiest and most festive window out there for our 2019 Christmas design.

This competition was won by one of our East London neighbours, the crazy talented illustrator, designer and ceramicist Michael Keith Chapman, who pulled it out the bag with his cheeky elf making sure we all got our greens this Christmas.

We caught up with Michael for a quick Q&A - 

Tell us about how you got into illustrating:

I’ve ways been in art, but chose a career in design instead. Having then spent way too many years in brand consulting, I had a big old life changing moment two years ago and followed my heart to illustration and running my own business. It’s a lot easier to express yourself when you’re the boss. 

You make ceramics too?

Oh yeah, it became a natural progression. I’m able to make ideas in 3D, which is a novelty for someone trained in flat. Would say it’s way more prone to mistake, time consuming and demands praying to the kiln, had to learn that from scratch. The result is every bit as kitsch as my drawings. 

Where do you get your inspiration from?

From travel mostly… I spend a lot of the year avoiding reality, but constantly sketching. I work in big bursts of themes, so currently I'm very heavy into Tattoo and animals. Last year it was fruit, Morocco and Italy.  

Who's your hero?

My everyday heroes are my parents, the most selfless people I know. 

Fave London tip?

Opening hours at a museum before the tourists wake up. Oh… and avoid the Central Line. 

PLANT or FLOWER?