Michael Samuels (b. 1964, Liverpool, UK) is a British artist living and working in London.
He describes his work as a testament to his love for the intricate process and effort required to create something profoundly simple. Functional objects become non-functional in his work, as he deconstructs and reconstructs them to make a form of contemporary bricolage. He has often ‘liberated’ 1960’s and 70’s cabinets, tables, sideboards and Danish condiment trays from their traditional roles, cutting and reconfiguring them to emphasise materials that act as strong visual markers of Modernism.
Samuels explains that ‘as a rule, I don't draw or plan my work; my practice is a performative and intuitive process of working straight with materials I accumulate in the studio. I avoid traditional art materials, preferring ready-made objects as I always look for a unique visual language and objects with a previous life.’
Samuels graduated from the Royal College of Art with an MA in Sculpture in 2000.
His solo exhibitions include The Architectural Association, London: Rokeby, London: Klara Wallner, Berlin; Tache-Levy, Brussels: Spacex, Exeter; and SMAC, Berlin. Commissions include Gatwick Airport; and Dover Street Market, London and Ginza, Japan. Selected collections include Claudine et Jean-Marc Salomon in France; David Roberts and the Zabludowicz Collection in London; and Soho House in London and Amsterdam.
