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Since 2011, Mervyn has grown the brand from a team of 8 to over 50, with each piece passing through 22 pairs of hands to become perfectly imperfect.
From clay mixed in-house to glazes developed over years, every detail is intentional. Their work now features in top restaurants, lodges, and stylish homes around the world.
Mervyn’s creative journey started with self-taught ceramics, inspired by Far Eastern artistry and a love for texture and form. Before going full-time into ceramics, he worked in radio, PR, and even flipped houses.
Today, he lives by the sea, swims daily, and runs a brand that champions craftsmanship, local jobs, and staying true to your rebel side.
GQ caught up with Mervyn to explore his Deep-Rooted Passion for art and the craft of ceramics.
GQ: Mervyn, your journey from radio and PR to ceramics is fascinating. What sparked the leap from a successful media career to starting a ceramics studio in Paarden Island?
Mervyn Gers: I’ve always had a deep interest in art, but it wasn’t offered as a subject at my local school, so I began teaching myself. Ceramics have always fascinated me. It’s a complex and rewarding medium, and I continue to learn every day. My full-time artistic journey began in 2007, when I started creating vases and pots in a monochromatic palette of black, white, and grey in my garage. The ceramic traditions of the Far East have long inspired me.
I've also been a passionate collector of pottery for as long as I can remember, collecting various styles and from different eras, with great admiration for the artists who came before me and helped shape this exquisite art form. When I heard that a ceramics factory was closing, I decided to take on the challenge.
GQ: You describe Mervyn Gers Ceramics as having a “sexy rebel spirit.” How does that ethos come through in your designs and the way you run your business?
Mervyn Gers: I always like to say we don’t follow trends; we create them. Every piece is 100% handmade, and we’re never afraid to experiment with texture, form, or colour. Our team of over 50 in-house creatives brings their originality and character to every piece, making each ceramic item truly one of a kind.
GQ: Your pieces are described as ‘imperfectly perfect’ and pass through 22 pairs of hands. Why is the handmade process sovitalto you, and how do you maintain quality and consistency at scale?
Mervyn Gers: The Japanese concept of wabi-sabi - finding beauty in the imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete - deeply resonates with me. Each piece tells a story: of the person who shaped it, glazed it, or carefully packed it. That’s why we insist on everything being handmade. Our greatest challenge has been scaling without losing that sense of soul, but it ultimately comes down to training, discipline, and a Deep Respect For The Craft. I’m incredibly proud of our team. We’re in it together, and they care about the work as much as I do.
GQ: From Hagi to Celadon, your love for traditional Far Eastern glazes is well documented. How have those influences shaped the visual identity of your collections today?
Mervyn Gers: I’m obsessed with glazes. Eastern traditions, such as Hagi, Tenmoku, and Celadon, hold a depth, history, and subtlety that is genuinely remarkable. They’ve taught me patience, restraint, and how to embrace the beautiful unpredictability of the firing process. These influences have undoubtedly shaped our palette and aesthetic, but we always interpret them through a local, African lens – the colours of the sea, the Kalahari and Fynbos.
GQ: You’ve gone from a team of eight to over 50. What has scaling a craft-based business taught you about leadership and staying true to your creative vision?
Mervyn Gers: It has taught me to let go of control and micromanaging. We have a dedicated, knowledgeable, and highly skilled team. While I remain closely involved in glaze testing, design, and creative direction, I trust the people around me. Creativity is, and always will be, our actual currency.
GQ: Ceramics is an intensely tactile and time-consuming art. What’s the most rewarding—and the most challenging—part of working with clay every day?
Mervyn Gers: The most rewarding part? Opening the kiln after a good firing. It’s pure thrill when everything goes right. The most challenging? The unpredictability. Clay can be temperamental. Glazes can misbehave. You must Accept Failure as part of the process. That teaches you humility.
GQ: Your background in flipping houses and your DIY nature inform your aesthetic. Do you think this hands-on mindset gives your work a unique edge?
Mervyn Gers: I don’t approach ceramics purely as an artist. I think spatially, practically, about how a piece feels in your hands. I want our work to be used and not displayed on a shelf or hung on a wall. It is designed to be an integral part of everyday life.
GQ: The Kalahari and Namibia are ongoing sources of inspiration for you. How do these landscapes translate into form, texture, or mood in your latest designs?
Mervyn Gers: There’s something ancient and raw about those landscapes - the colours, the silence, the way the light hits the sand. I try to channel that stillness and groundedness into our forms and glazes.
GQ: Your brand is stocked in top restaurants, lodges, and homes across the globe. How do you balance global demand while remaining true to your Cape Town roots and commitment to local job creation?
Mervyn Gers: We’re proud to be global, yet intensely local. Everything we make is produced right here in Paarden Island. Exporting our ceramics means sharing South African craft and creativity with the world. We want to be an employment success story, ensuring everyone still has a job long after I’m gone.
GQ: You’ve spoken about living with purpose, staying fit, and being surrounded by your dogs and loved ones. How do these personal values influence the way you lead your team and build your brand?
Mervyn Gers: I believe a business reflects its founder’s values. If I’m centred, creative, and connected, that energy feeds into the studio. I try to lead with Empathy And Purpose. My dogs keep me sane. Movement and mindfulness keep me sharp. And my relationships remind me why all this matters. It’s not just about platters and plates, it’s about people.
Issued on GQ South Africa by Anele Geqiwe | https://www.gq.co.za/wealth/career-advice/the-creative-mind-behind-mervyn-gers-ceramics-4ea5ded8-7cdd-4077-a528-434fb7e37504
