Born in 1963 in Evreux,  Eure, France

Lives and works in Vaux Saules, France

1982-1984                   Extended stay in New Caledonia

Discovery of Oceanic Art

Study at Dijon School of Fine Arts

1995                            Self-taught as a wood turner using Richard Raffan’s book

1996                            Meeting with woodturners  Gérard Genestier and Daniel Guilloux.

Discovering of contempary turning. First testing of burning methods.

1997-2000                   Research and exploration  into new forms, colors, textures and finishes.

Inspired by  Prehistoric Art .

2000                            Puy  Saint Martin, France - met John Jordan and Mark Sfirri.

2001                            ITE Wood Turnning, Philadelphia, two month residence with          Louise Hibbert,  Mark Gardner, Jason Russsel and Stuart King.

2003                                                        Lecturer and assistant, World Turning Days, Puy Saint Martin.

Lecturer, Wood Passion, Grenoble.

Collaboration work with Irish artists organised by the Craft Council of Dublin.

2005                            Connection ITE, 1995-2005, Philadelphia, PA

EXHIBITION

2006     Sofa Chicago (Ateliers D’art de France)

2006     Noyes ,Museum Oceanville, New Jersey, Usa (Connections ITE 1995-2005)

2006     Turned Wood 2006, Del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, Usa

2005      Philip and MurielBerman, Museum of Art Collegeville Pensylvanie, Usa    (Connections ITE      1995-2005)

2006    Galerie Orféo, Luxembourg

2005     Linda Bird Ldt,  Richmond, England

2005     Philippe Parent Studio, Paris, France

2005    Galerie Fusion, Toulouse, France

2005     Carlin Gallery, Paris, France

2005     GalerieAthénée 4, Genève, Switzerland

2005    Art et Création, Lyon, France

2004     Galerie Séves Arts et Nature, Aix en Provence, France

2003     Galerie Mabillon, Aix en Provence, France

2003     GalerieAthénée 4, Genève, Switzerland

2003     Carlin Gallery, Paris, France

2003     Ebène Macassar, Paris, France           

2002     Art et Création, Lyon, France

2002     JYC Galerie, Paris, France

2001     Lancaster Museum of Art ,  PA

2001     Galerie du Woodturning Center, Philadelphia

PIECES IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE  COLLECTIONS

       Musée des Pays de L'Ain ( French museum of woodturning)

          Bruce Kaiser (USA)

          Fleur Bressler (USA)

          Tim and Sheryl Kochman (USA)

          Wood Turning Center (USA)

           Mark sfirri (USA)

           John Jordan (USA)

           Terry Moritz (USA)

           Randy Antik (USA)

           Dave Forney (USA)

PUBLICATIONS

Arts et Décoration

Elle Décoration

Ateliers d’Art

Atelier Bois

Turning Point (USA)

Wood Work (USA)

Wood Turning Magazine (England)

 Bois de Rêve,  BoisTtravaillés (French Museum Book)

Connection (Wood Turning Center)

Reportage télévisé FR3 Bourgogne  « Bourgogne Première »

Mike Scott is highly respected in the woodturning field as one of the pioneers of freestyle turning, an approach driven by intuition rather than by design, responding to the individual characteristics of each piece of timber.

He was born in Oxford in 1943, leaving school in 1960 to take up a career in accounting.

In 1965 he emigrated to Australia, where he worked in a number of accounting and administrative posts while bringing up a family, returning to England in 1976.

In the early 1980's he decided to change direction and spend some time studying esoteric disciplines and Eastern philosophy. In the process he acquired the name "Chai" (which he uses to sign his work), a shortened version of a Sanskrit word meaning "awareness" or "consciousness" given to him by his then Indian guru.

Mike Scott supported himself during this period through a variety of jobs from building racing cars to vegetarian cookery and general handiwork before enrolling on the Creative Arts degree course at Crewe and Alsager College. It was here that he first started working in wood, little realising how this was going to shape his eventual career.

In November 1984, he set up in business working in wood; in May of the following year he purchased a small lathe and was soon realising the possibilities that this offered. This was a tremendously exciting time for Mike Scott as the creative process became all absorbing, and his passion for wood flourished with the development of his organic forms.

Within a year Mike was showing work in contemporary craft galleries and in January 1987 was given his first major one-man show at the Oxford Gallery.

Increasing demand for his woodturning work for exhibitions helped to develop and refine his exploration of form and texture.