Cha-Rie Tang

“Stones in a river bed are beautiful. Rather than just putting them in a line, you should let them fall. There is a rhyme and reason in nature.” So says Pasadena artist, designer and architect Cha-Rie Tang, who, since her arrival in Pasadena 22 years ago, has been executing stellar design projects in the area at a steady clip. You can see her work on the ARTS Bus that that passes by with those gorgeous drawings of City Hall and the Colorado Boulevard Bridge. She has also designed extensively around town and at the Robinson House, originally conceived by Charles and Henry Greene. Tang’s nature-based approach to design has much in common with Greene and Greene, her Pasadena predecessors (and fellow MIT Architecture School alums) whose modus-operandi, and that of the Arts and Crafts Movement in general, was to counteract the inhumanity of the Industrial Age and offer a return to the earth and to the individual. From her battered rock and wood-shake covered studio in Pasadena, Cha-Rie creates exquisite work in this same vein – firmly rooted in classic values, with an eye to modern possibilities and sentiments.

Most recently, Cha-Rie has been working with the molds of master art-tile maker and leading artisan of the Arts and Crafts Movement, Ernest Batchelder. Cha-Rie’s acquisition of Batchelder’s prized original molds started some 15 years ago and expanded recently courtesy of local author and architectural historian, Dr. Bob Winter, who saw her as the perfect person to re-create what are recognized as the some of the world’s most beautiful tiles. Using the molds and her own expert glazing techniques, Cha-Rie has effectively brought about the second coming of these pieces that feature intricate treescapes, animalistic renderings, and other designs that evoke a sense of artisanship much older than the Arts and Crafts Movement, yet completely in tune with contemporary aesthetics. However, as luck would have it for those who enjoy the finer things, another use for the molds came to mind around Christmas time last year involving food-grade silicone and some very high-quality chocolate. A little experimentation in the kitchen later, and those near and dear to Tang were soon the recipients of not only some of the most beautiful, but also the best tasting tile to ever come through Pasadena.

For Cha-Rie, though, it was just another project. Another in the list of creations she has thought of and said to herself, “I can do that!” To get your design-project on that list, or for a Batchelder reproduction of the edible or non-edible variety, contact Cha-Rie at crt@directimagination.com.

 

3 Questions

1. Whom do you admire?

Everybody has good qualities, but I especially admire multi-talented people with good design sense. Charles and Henry Greene, Frank Lloyd Wright, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Bernard Maybeck, Santiago Calatrava. My friends Phaedra Ledbetter and Roger Rodriguez.

2. How did you get to Pasadena?

My husband Bruce Hubbard came to Caltech for graduate school. It was love at first sight since everything grows here and I can have flowers in the garden all year round. Bruce likes cold weather so he is always talking about moving to somewhere cold. But I will not budge. Because we are near LA and airports, friends and family can visit us as a side trip while they attend conferences near by. Cultural diversity is also a big plus.

3. What advice do you have for people who are designing their own homes?

Hmmm…. Price really is not the deciding factor in good design, I figure. Look for truthfulness. I guess that’s something I think about a lot. Wood should look like wood and stone should look like stone. You generally won’t go wrong if you follow nature’s steps. Although there’s also something to be said for being fun and there are tons of whimsical aspects to modern design.

 

3 Favorites

1. One incredible item can make all the difference in a room or a backyard. Where do you look for treasures?

Rosemead Gardens. They import stones from China and also statuaries. Statuaries in general usually aren’t my favorite, but their stones are amazing. You should go there and just walk around some time.

2. What are your favorite sanctuaries?

I love my work, so I guess my outdoor clay studio is my sanctuary. When I want to splurge, I go to the Huntington Gardens, the Arboretum and Descanso Gardens.

3. What are your favorite events?

Going to garden shows is my favorite thing to do. There are so many spectacular houses and gardens in town I don't think I will ever get tired of visiting them.