Meet the fixer is a new series highlighting businesses or individuals who play a role in the circular economy by repairing and restoring the items we already own. As a salve to throwaway culture, fixers give precious items a new life through the act of mending.

Catherine Malherbe restores ceramic and glass pieces from her studio in Wynberg, Cape Town. For over three decades she has honed her craft, repairing artworks, heirlooms and personal treasures. Her clients are both locals and people abroad, who are happy to post their pieces to her expert hands.

Catherine was trained by Hazel Botha who founded South African Academy of Ceramics Conservation. Photos supplied

Catherine only discovered the art of repair in her 30s, spending her 20s taking sewing courses and working as a croupier at a casino in Lesotho. At the recommendation of a friend, she did a course on ceramic restoration with Hazel Botha, who would go on to found the South African Academy of Ceramics Conservation.

At first, Catherine operated out of her spare bedroom, and today she works out of her garden studio, shared with her part-time co-worker – her husband, Neil. His workbench features meticulously organised drill bits, self-modified tools, and a broad variety of glues. The rest of the studio is where Catherine putties, sands and paints her clients’ pieces, from vases to platters, life-sized Great Dane sculptures to delicate ballerina figurines.

Besides noting a shift in the styles of ceramics brought in over the years, Catherine has always had a steady stream of clients. “I think the younger generations coming up want more modern, minimalistic things,” she says. “But, at the end of the day, things still break.”

  Catherine works with her husband in her Wynberg garden studio. Photo supplied

There is a fine line between embracing today’s DIY culture and honouring the craftsmen who have honed their skills and expertise. A lot of what is brought into her studio is failed at-home restoration efforts – repairs that began as an attempt to save money and ended up costing more. It is the art form of restoration, be it mixing glue to the right consistency, creating a mould to fill a missing chunk, or colour-matching a complex paint job, that keeps Catherine’s studio constantly busy.

She prides herself on invisible restorations, using an airbrush to match the colours of the original piece. Although often working with valuable − financially, emotionally, or both − ceramics, Catherine has a stoic disposition towards her work. “One can just do one’s best,” she says. “I’ve been doing it for nearly 30 years now, but I’m still learning.”

 Catherine’s collection of Staffordshire Spaniel figurines. Photo supplied

• You can contact Catherine Malherbe through her website