Claywork as background
The atelier draws on a family background in practical claywork, where the material was understood through handling rather than distance.
Founder / Atelier
Craft guided through material study.
Vlaamse Tegelmeesters is guided by merlijn van uytfanghe.
A family background with longstanding hands-on claywork helped shape an early appreciation for ceramic material culture.
The direction of merlijn van uytfanghe developed through fascination with chemistry, mineral behaviour, oxides, glaze reactions, and the way surfaces transform through firing.
Chemistry as direction
Surface development is informed by oxide behaviour, mineral additions, glaze reaction, and the controlled unpredictability of the kiln.
Small-batch preference
Production remains intentionally slow and small-batch, favouring attention, finish, and material depth over mass manufacture.
Interior discipline
The work is directed toward timeless interiors, colour depth, texture, and material honesty rather than decorative excess.
Flemish Setting
Place remains present, without becoming decoration.
The work is shaped in dialogue with Flemish material culture: stone, garden rooms, old surfaces, and the discipline of small workshops.
Those references stay in the background. They guide proportion, restraint, and atmosphere rather than becoming a motif.
View Process
Atelier Practice
Each tile sits between craft and technical discipline.
Shaping, glaze preparation, glaze application, firing, and finishing remain closely held within the atelier.
The resulting surfaces are approached as material work first: quiet, durable, and distinct within each batch.
Begin InquiryInquiry
Projects begin with a direct conversation about surface, setting, and pace.
Collections, glaze direction, batch planning, and custom commissions are discussed directly through the atelier.