Recently I had the pleasure of meeting the beautiful Alexia Klompje of Klomp Ceramics. She invited me into her home studio and we hit it off from the minute the door opened – it’s pretty hard not to fall for this amazingly warm and talented lady.
I was blown away by her bold yet simple ceramics, and hearing her inspiring story made the designs even more covetable.
Four years ago Alexia, who was 31 at the time, started to feel really ill. She knew something was wrong but couldn’t get a diagnosis beyond, ‘It might be tick bite fever.’ When she woke up one morning with the right side of her body completely lethargic, her husband rushed her to the hospital and neither of them could be prepared for what came next. The doctors said she had all the symptoms of a stroke, but that being 31, that was highly unlikely. After a battery of tests, the diagnosis came in… Alexia had a brain tumour the size of a tennis ball.
Never one to be held back, she told herself that she would walk again, and that her life would return to normal. After successful surgery to remove the tumour, Alexia put her mind to healing herself. Four years of physio, pilates and alternative healing later, Alexia is a healthy mom and is blessed with a new outlook on life and a creative energy that is bursting through her ceramics.
So, how does Klomp fit into the story? Alexia, who worked as a stylist before her diagnosis, knew that she was ready for a new career direction. During her recovery, her husband encouraged her to think about her hobbies, and whether any of them could become a career. ‘I’ve been playing with clay since I was a little girl,’ she told him, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Launched in July 2013, Klomp Ceramics’ bold graphic designs make for a strong aesthetic that is uniquely hers. The ceramics have, for the designer, been a very important part of her healing process, and have become a successful and lucrative career move too.
You can view more of Klomp’s beautiful ranges at: KlompCeramics .
