Born in South Africa, Monica De Campo completed her Teaching Degree at Pretoria Teachers College in 1975 as an Arts Major. Pottery hobby classes from Maxie Erasmus in Hazyview became a passion and Monica soon had her own studio and produced award-winning earthenware and stoneware pottery.
She had since headed the Ceramic Department of Brakpan Technical College(1988-89) near Johannesburg, did further studies at Johannesburg Technicon in Printmaking, Conceptual Art, Ceramic Design, Drawing and Art history. She completed workshops with John Gibson from England, Les Manning, (Alberta), Matthias Ostermann (Montreal), Jack Sures,(Regina) Janet De Boos ( at Red Deer);Sunshine Cobb, Brenda Danbrook, Adam Field, Julia Gallaway, Diana Fyatt and Pete Callas. During 2004, Monica participated in the Artist in Residence Program at the Medalta International Clay Centre in Medicine Hat, Alberta. Recently she participated in the week long Florida Heat Master Class at St Pete Clay with 8 of Americas’ leading potters.
In 2015 she was invited to teach a 2 week class at the prestigious La Meridiana Ceramic Centre in Tuscany, Italy. She actively participates in Fine Art Workshops and enjoys painting in Acrylics on canvas as well as making and printing on handcrafted paper.
Monica moved to the Prairies in 2009 from Ontario where she created colourful one of a-kind porcelain vessels and offered workshops in her private studio and gallery, retiring from the years of exhibiting her colourful pottery at top Fine Art Shows in South Africa, United States and Canada. She currently presents advance workshops for ceramics techniques, Studio 101 practices as well as silkscreen printmaking for clay in her studio in Digby, Nova Scotia.
Monica works primarily with electric fired stoneware and porcelain clay and also enjoys experimenting with Raku, wood, gas and salt and soda fired stoneware during workshops. She recently completed a Salt and Soda Firing at Medalta, Alberta and hosted a Raku and Horsehair firing at her studio. Her unique functional wheel thrown tableware is lead free and colourfully decorated in the style of Majolica as well as using printed transfers and reflects the colours and patterns from her native South Africa.
“At times our own light goes out and it is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each one of us has cause to think deep gratitude of those who have lit the flame within us.More so to realize the lamp we hold for someone else also illuminates our own path.”
Monica De Campo
Monicats Studio
902 247-5496
85 Victoria Street, Box 2312, Digby, NS B0V 1A0
Since moving to Digby, Nova Scotia my work changed to more whimsical and nautical influenced by the lovely scenery and customer needs. Covid19 brought out the popular “Stay the Blazes Home! Covid Coffee” Mug in an unctuous gluttonous 16 oz large size to start the days at home with a serious amount of coffee!
My Studio is located in Digby and you may visit by appointment only (under Covid rules 2020) by text or call me at 902-2475496 .
As I am semi-retired I do not wholesale or consign and enjoy a few local markets and custom orders on a small scale.
You may also visit my Instagram (#monicats12) or my Facebook page full of current photos, activities and events. https://www.facebook.com/monicatstudio
https://www.facebook.com/monica.decampo/
Special orders: You may send me an e-mail to
pierodecampo@yahoo.com or message me via FB.
