Shalev has spent over two decades designing glass, porcelain, art objects, paper products and more for her own studio and for major firms around the world, such as Ritzenhoff AG, the German producer of crystal and glassware. Michal has created advertising designs for VP Bank in Liechtenstien and carpets and textiles for JAB Ansoetz. Her name is well known throughout Europe for her designs.
Influences – The Inspiration of a Unique Style
Shalev's designs are born of a number of influences: cave paintings, ethnic ornaments, Pop Art, Art Deco, and Bauhaus. These influences are apparent in her unique designs, which take something ordinary like a rug and nudge it to the level of being both functional and beautiful - something you would be happy for others to see in your home.
Some of Shalev's works are minimalist, like a carpet in a muted tangerine shade with three stark, stylized white human figures occupying two opposite corners. Other designs are more intricate, with vivid designs like her "My Little Darling" espresso mug and saucer, featuring a woman's face done in an Art Deco style, eyes peaking from behind a thick fringe, flanked with bright, citrus-hued elements.
Biography – Natural Born Talent
Born in Tel-Aviv in 1958, Michal Shalev's "career" began at the young age of 13, when an art teacher recommended her for a program in art and painting for gifted students at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. She later studied textile design at the Shenkar College of Textile Technology and Fashion, graduating with a Bachelor of Art degree in Textile Designing in 1981.
After working for a number of textile and carpet designers for several years, Shalev opened her own design studio in 1988 and worked as a freelance designer, developing her unique style. Soon, she was designing for several carpet designers and architects. But though she was successful in her local market, Shalev still wanted to achieve more.
Today – Ongoing Quality and Success
In 1994 Michal had attended the Heimtextil exhibition in Frankfurt, and the Domotex exhibition in Hanover, carrying her own designs with her in a suitcase. It was there that her talent and hard work really began to pay off. Currently, Michal Shalev designs textiles, carpets, bed linens, glassware, and other art objects in her own studio as well as continuing her work for major companies around the world like Sieger Design, Adam Kaeppel, Fleuresse, Toulemond Bochart, Tisca, Design House, Karstadt, and Rosenthal.
