Zuzana perceives textile design to be a medium, delivering her perspective on contemporary social development as well as a subjective artistic expression. Moreover, she does not aim to present textile as mere pleasing decoration but as a strong and respected communication tool in a public sphere with its sculptural quality.
Profile
Zuzana Zmateková, currently studying at Aalto School of Art, Design, and Architecture, has earned her first master’s degree in Textile Design at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava. There, she has not only developed her painting and drawing skills but also a conceptual approach to design. Various internships abroad have contributed to improving her competencies in textile techniques such as screen-printing, digital printing, jacquard weaving, and knitting. Her design style has been further developed during an exchange program at the Lodz University of Technology and later in the Textile Design Innovation Studio at the Nottingham Trent University.
Besides these study visits, she participated in a long-term internship in a Volkswagen Colour and trim design studio in Wolfsburg, Germany. Here, she collaborated in the development of new textiles and interior designs. However, she considers one of the greatest personal achievements to be an internship in the renowned fashion studio Alexander McQueen in London. For four months, she had become a member of a professional designers’ team designing textile prints for dresses and scarfs. Her most recent working experience has been in Mitwill textile design studio in France. Numerous internships, study visits, and working experiences have taught Zuzana to fully employ her creative and artistic skills and competencies, among the strongest may be listed drawing, painting, and composition.
Moreover, using digital programs and different media such as photography and video, she has been experimenting and reaching beyond the boundaries of the conventional reception and understanding of textile design as well as the message it may convey via such a strong communication medium as fashion is. Generally, Zuzana’s conceptual designs and artworks reflect and address contemporary socio-political issues through visually appealing imagery.
Throughout her work, she has been inspired by topics and issues as a consumerist society, symbolism’s transformation, void and emptiness, tradition versus innovation, new media, and digital aesthetics. She perceives textile design to be a medium, delivering her own perspective on contemporary social developments and also a very subjective artistic expression of her personality. Moreover, she does not aim to present textiles as a pleasing decoration but she sees it as a strong and respected communication tool in a public sphere with its value as well as a sculptural artistic expression.
CV
Education
2018-present
Master’s Programme in Fashion, Clothing and Textile Design,
Aalto School of Art, Design and Architecture
Helsinki, Finland
2008 – 2015
MA degree Academy of Fine Arts and Design Bratislava, Slovakia
2014 | Jan 20 – May 20
Textile design innovation, Nottingham Trent University,
Fine Arts and Design, United Kingdom Exchange student – Erasmus
2011 | Jan 1 – Mar 20
Faculty of textile design
Lodz University of Technology, Poland Exchange student – Ceepus
Working experience
January 2020 – October 2020
Aalto School of Art, Design and Architecture
Research Assistant
April 2019 – April 2020
Pattern Lab
Textile designer and a vice chair
2020 – present
Vanelli Textiles
Freelance print design
2019
Isadore Apparel
Freelance print design
31, 2015 – 2019
Mitwill Textiles Europe
Freelance textile Designer/Creating textile prints for a commercial marketer
2016 – 2019
Nehera
Fashion Print Designer/Creating original fashion prints for a luxury fashion brand
2016 – 2018
Beard and Fringe
Freelance Textile Designer/ Creating original fashion prints for a lifestyle fashion brand
Internships
2011 – 2012 | Sep 19 – Feb 2
Volkswagen AG Design, Colour and Trim department
Awards
Talentshop 2020, Habitare – Selected designer
Slovak Design Awards 2019 – Jury Award for project ConTEXt
Bratislava Design Week Awards 2019 – Best product
of Fine Arts Łódź, Poland
MA project Digital Aesthetics