One of three girls, Alexia has always loved art and could often be found painting or colouring as a child. In 2013, she began weekly ceramic classes for fun, and over time, the hobby grew into a full-time job. In fact, the turning point came when Alexia took a journey along the El Camino de Santiago and found herself at a crossroads. She chose to end her career in real estate and took a leap of faith to pursue her art.
ALL IN A NAME
When Alexia was a child, she couldn’t say her name and dubbed herself XO. The name stuck, and her close friends and family still use this childhood nickname. When she started creating ceramics, she stamped her clay with an X and O, and the playful signature has since evolved into the XOXO Pottery Design brand.
THE WORK
Alexia handcrafts each of her pieces, which are both practical and beautiful. She loves to work with clay and glazes, often creating multifunctional pieces. Every item that she makes is one-of-a-kind, as she embraces the unpredictability of working with clay. For her, inspiration comes from her daily life and her travels over the years. She has walked the El Camino in Spain three times, and the villages, vineyards and natural beauty of the area have influenced her work. She has also hiked part of the Inca Trail to Machu Pichu, and she says the colour tones of South America have stayed with her. Born into a Greek family, Alexia feels connected to her heritage, and this has impacted many of her sculptures and pottery ranges.
THE COLLECTIONS
Alexia designs and makes all of her pieces at her studio in Cape Town. Each unique piece can be used for home décor or as tableware, and the collections differ in colours, patterns and prints. The Mediterranean range takes inspiration from Alexia’s heritage and reflects the depth of love, beauty and tranquillity of the Med; while the Seascape range was designed to encourage play and mental escape during the national lockdown in 2020. Real conversation pieces, the oversized bowls that form part of the Miraflores Magic collection are inspired by an art and design district in Peru and feature bold and vibrant colours.
