Meet the Maker: ReNew - In conversation with Michaela McMillan

 

Image credit: Manchester Art Gallery

Main image credit: Manchester Art Gallery

The new year brings with it fresh beginnings and a chance to start again. Something we all do from time to time. For our latest craft and design showcase, we hope to highlight the beauty of renewal, celebrating artists and makers who bring new life to existing materials. We’re thrilled to introduce to you the first in our Meet the Maker series, Michaela McMillan

Working from her Warwickshire studio, Michaela creates bold, playful sculptural objects using recycled mixed media. Bringing new life and value to everyday objects that hold their beauty despite being unwanted, damaged or no longer fit for purpose. Michaela transforms them through assemblage and story telling into one-of-a-kind pieces.

What inspires your work? 

My work is inspired by found objects, animals and the tension between contrasts—humour and gravity, chaos and balance. Every piece begins with a story rooted in my own experiences, which unfolds through playful yet meaningful combinations of form and material.  I work in year long collections allowing the work to evolve through the year. 

Tell us a bit more about the inspiration for the pieces you have included in the ReNew showcase.

These works are made from reclaimed and recycled materials that have been donated or sourced from car boot sales and charity shops.  This range explores the idea of opposites—a theme that begins with the materials themselves.  I select discarded objects that, while no longer fit for their original purpose, still possess an inherent aesthetic 'magic.'

By leaning into the kitsch appeal of items like flying ducks or wall cameos, I aim to renew the viewer's perception of these forgotten treasures.  Similarly, my work with toys taps into the nostalgia of childhood play, but by using materials that jar slightly, it shifts the experience from a physical act to a mental one.   The play no longer happens in the hands, but in the mind.

Tell us a bit more about your practice.

I graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University in 1992 with a degree in Textiles (Embroidery).  While I began my career in book illustration and surface pattern design, I found those mediums far too flat.  Following an Arts Council Grant approximately 15 years ago to redevelop my practice, I began integrating mixed media.  This has since evolved into the sculptural, narrative-driven style I work in today.  

I have extensive experience as an artist-in-residence within education, gallery, and community settings. My focus is always on fostering creativity rather than adhering to rigid technical rules. Engaging with diverse groups continues to inform my own work and keeps my practice evolving.  

I sell my work through my website, exhibitions, and galleries. I particularly enjoy showing my work in person and meeting my audience; I often collect names and stories from visitors to weave into the "tales" behind my pieces

Describe your workspace.

Too small!

I have a brick building in the garden from the previous owners, it was one of the big draws of buying the house.  I love that I can work very early or very late , but it's only a few steps to home.  The fact that there is a physical separation helps with not being distracted by house stuff too.  

Everything has its own pace, it's very rare for me to not be able to locate a certain item, but probably organised chaos would be how it is seen.  It makes sense to me though!

Who has influenced & inspired you?

Storytellers, artists, designers, there’s so many.

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A top 10 at the moment would be:

The Brothers Grimm, Alexander McQueen, David Bowie, Tim Walker, Cleo Mussi, Herb Ritts, Matt Haig, Joana Vasconcelos, Ebony Russell, Andrew Logan

What is your favourite piece or design you have made?

My favourite piece tends to change constantly. I get so excited by the materials I find that sometimes my new favourite is simply the piece where I finally found a use for a particular glass ball!

In this collection, however, I really love the Kangaroo; the physical piece and its story are so deeply connected. Another career highlight was a permanent commission I completed a few years ago for a library, titled The Mother of Libraries. That work remains a favourite because it was so deeply informed by the local community. Over 200 residents participated in my year-long artist residency, and for me, the final piece perfectly reflected the collective spirit of the village.