Atlanta’s Robert Chamberlin draws on cake-decorating techniques for his lavishly decorated porcelain work. With frosting-like piping, his campy art looks good enough to eat.
Artist: Born in Landstuhl, Germany, where his dad was in the Air Force, Chamberlin grew up in various states, from California to Georgia, as his military family moved around.
In 2010, he graduated with a BFA in photography from Georgia State University, where he also took ceramic classes.He earned an MFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston at Tufts University.
Chamberlin works out of a garage studio in Marietta, GA.
In the beginning: Started working with clay in junior high school, but didn’t get serious about ceramics until college and exploring his queerness and his ancestry. (ADD porcelain line
Art & materials:
- Piped porcelain objects, such as candleholders, cake stands, wreaths and vases with ornate designs like roses, bows and frosting-like piping.
- Materials include clay and cake-decorating bags and tips. Machine-made or industrial lace is sometimes used as a silkscreen or stencil on vessels.
What’s popular: Ceramic cat figurines ($35 to $75).
Other favorites: Candlesticks ($45 to $175).
Favorite tools: Piping bags and stainless steel tips. Also his hands.
Inspirations:
- Palace of Versailles near Paris.
- Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin.
- King Ludwig II castles and other structures in Bavaria.
Recent awards/honors:
- Idea Capital’s Susan Antinori Visual Artist Grant. The grant is awarded to visual artists who have been working in the visual arts in Atlanta for a minimum of five years. The grant is sponsored by Atlanta arts patron Susan Antinori.
- “Frosted Vessels,” a four-page feature on Chamberlin’s process was published in July/August 2024 issue of Pottery Making Illustrated.
Recent project: Sculptures based on Matelotage and Chamberlin’s search in history for his queer pirate ancestors.
Matelotage, in general, is a form of civil or social union among pirates that was often financial and romantic but also sexual.
Where to buy:
Get social:
- Facebook: Studio Chamberlin
- Instagram: @studiochamberlin
