MIKE TAUBER

MEDIUM

Ceramics

ARTIST STATEMENT

“I approach tile glazing like a painter, but I also allow for exotic burns to happen in the kiln. Grout lines add a grid-like contrast, and the finished works have a weighty, architectural quality.”

ARTIST BIO

Mike Tauber is a professional artist, working in paint and ceramic tile.

His “Golden State” gallery series features natural scenery of California and classic figures including park rangers, lifeguards, and swimmers. He works in the cuerda seca technique, whereby each piece is hand drawn with wax, painted in with low fire glazes, and kiln fired. A sense of depth, light and shadow, painterly bleeds, and burns from exotic glazes are featured.

A noted muralist, recent tile installations include a floral landscape, and a koi pond scene at Primrose Park in Temple City California, “Love Birds” for City of Tustin, and “Laguna Honors its Artists” at The Taco Stand on Coast Highway at Cleo Street in Laguna Beach. Future works will be installed at Cleo Street Beach, and Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach.

More than 1200 people have engaged in his award-winning community mosaics program, allowing citizens to to decorate individual tiles that compose beautifully designed outdoor murals. Examples in Laguna Beach include “Coastline to Canyon” on Glenneyre Street, “Swimming in Sea Life” at The Taco Stand and Garden Plaques at South Laguna Community Garden Park. His “Flying Parrots” diptych mural was both created and installed by citizens at Frontier Park in Tustin.

Taubers painting commissions include murals at Wilshire Grand Center in Los Angeles, character designs and murals for Geppetto’s Toy Stores throughout San Diego County, and a vintage-style travel post card of Laguna Beach, recreated and performed on stage at the 2022 Pageant of the Masters.

His awards and nominations by the Laguna Beach Arts Alliance include Best in Collaboration (2009, 2019, 2026), Artist of the Year (2011), Best in Leadership (2019), and he was named Artist of the Year in 2018. He was named Artist of the Year by the 2025 Laguna Beach Patriots Day Parade Association.

International commissions are in Australia, and Brazil, and he recently exhibited tile landscapes in a group show in Sorrento Italy. His omiyage gift tiles were presented by Laguna Beach Sister Cities to delegates from partner City Fuji Five Lakes Japan.

He’s exhibited and presented at Laguna Art Museum, Fullerton Museum Center, Palm Springs Art Museum, and Yosemite Museum. His work is in the Festival of Arts Permanent Collection, and public art collections of numerous cities and corporations. He earned his Bachelors Degree from the College of Fine Art at San Diego State University, is based in Laguna Beach, and works throughout Southern California, and beyond.