About
My name is Tyrane Micheal Van den Berg (I still struggle to spell Michael sometimes!) I was born in South Africa in 1988. I am a self-taught potter, life enthusiast, adventurer (although not so much these days) nature-lover, foodie, fiancé and furfather to Pickle & Inka (pets/buddys) to name just a few.
As a boy I was fascinated by ‘MUD’ and all the different states of it. When I was boy we had a family friend that lived inland of the coast of KwaZulu Natal, they had a stream that ran down the border of their property where I would spend hours scratching in the clay, I used to be amazed how when you put it in the stream it would disappear into a cloud. I made my mother my first little pot in that spot in which I carved ‘I love mom’, I remember it so vividly. This was the start of Thrown by Ty.
After many years of travelling and enjoying a bit of nomadic life, my fianceé and I decided to settle on St Martin’s, a tiny island in the Isles of Scilly. I got my first wheel and have never looked back. I am passionate about the whole process of pottery/ceramics, from the raw ingredients to how clay behaves and then the glazing and firing!
When I am in my studio, I feel a true sense of myself, a place of meditation. My mind is free to explore and follow my dreams and designs. I am inspired by pots of the past and the natural forms and colours of nature, which are reflected in my choice of colours - blues, greens and earthy tones.
“It’s not just the destination, but the journey.”
Pottery is my journey and a fulfilled life is the destination.
