Michael Johnson Biography

Born 1963 in the UK, Michael spent his early years in North Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Emigrating with his family to Australia at age ten, there he completed his education to degree level and subsequently established a career in the performing arts. Parallel to this career he began to develop what had been a childhood passion, working with copper. In his twenties this led to commission and exhibition work and on retiring from the performing arts he took up metal work full time. An opportunity to further develop his metal working skills saw him return to the UK to work with his uncle, Terry English, an internationally regarded armourer. Subsequent films Michael worked on included First Knight, Batman And Robin, Joan of Arc, King Arthur and Pirates of the Caribbean 2+3. The skills for hand forming sheet metal work in the armoury paralleled those of the copper and silversmith. The past eleven years working in the UK and abroad have allowed him to build on his skills as a craftsman in copper and in 2004 Michael established The Copper Works Newlyn.