Zuzana Zmateková is a textile designer, design researcher and a textile artist currently based between Stockholm, Helsinki and Bratislava. Her work is inspired by environmental and societal issues, sustainability and social inclusion using design. She often engages in cross-collaboration in order to achieve innovation while implementing new media, digital aesthetics and material innovation in the process. Zuzana has earned her Master’s degree at Aalto School of Art, Design, and Architecture in Finland, where she studied Fashion, Clothing and Textile Design. During her studies at Aalto University, she has worked as a research assistant in a research group Sun-Powered textiles, for which she developed a collection of woven and printed textiles that are suitable for solar cells integration. Zuzana Zmateková has received several national and international design nominations and awards. Furthermore, she has been awarded several State grants by Slovak art council, Fund for the Support of the Culture of National Minorities, Tatra Banka foundation and by Aalto University in Finland.

Exhibitions

In-between | East Slovak Gallery, 2024 – Solo exhibition, Košice, Slovakia

Maximum Glam | Umelka Gallery 2024 – Collective exhibition, Bratislava, Slovakia

Maximum Glam | Design Without Borders 2024 – Collective exhibition, Budapest, Hungary

Sun-powered textiles | Dialogues: An Ode To Textile Stories 2023, Helsinki Central Library Oodi – Collective exhibition, Helsinki, Finland

Sun-powered textiles | Dialogues: Creating New Textile Futures 2023, Dipoli Gallery – Collective exhibition, Espoo, Finland

Amenge, Sun-powered textiles | Design Without Borders 2022 – Collective exhibition, Budapest, Hungary

Maximum Glam | Talentshop exhibition at Habitare furniture fair 2022 – Individual exhibition, Helsinki, Finland

Real Virtuality | Galéria X 2021 – Collective exhibition, Bratislava, Slovakia

Amenge | National Design Prize Exhibition 2021 – Collective exhibition, Bratislava, Slovakia

Sun-powered Textiles | Helsinki Design Week 2020, Helsinki, Finland

Amenge | East Slovak Gallery 2020 – Solo exhibition, Košice, Slovakia

Maximum Glam | Heimtextil 2020 | Trend Forum, Frankfurt, Germany

Architextures | Panel 2020 – Solo exhibition, Gallery in Synagogue, Šurany, Slovakia

Architextures | Textile Tomorrow Summit 2019 – Collective exhibition, Helsinki, Finland

ConTEXt | Heimtextil 2019 | Selection of designers representing Slovakia, Frankfurt, Germany

ConTEXt | National Design Prize Exhibition 2019 – Collective exhibition, Bratislava, Slovakia

ConTEXt | Bratislava Design Week, 2019, Bratislava, Slovakia

ConTEXt |Gallery Rajón, 2018 – Solo exhibition, Bratislava, Slovakia

Resolution 72 | Bratislava Design Week, 2017, Bratislava, Slovakia

Data Tex-Styles | YTAT Young Textile Art Triennial 2016 – Collective exhibition, Lodz, Poland

Digital Aesthetics | Bratislava Design Week, 2015, Bratislava, Slovakia

Forme Oublié | Heimtextil 2013, Frankfurt, Germany

One space – Many ways | 2010 – Collective exhibition, Telemark University College, Museum Høgskolen i Telemark, Rauland, Norway 

Phenomenon Communism | Textiles Bienale Lodz 2009 – Collective exhibition, Lodz, Poland

Check-deck chair | Heimtextil 2009 – Collective exhibition, Frankfurt, Germany

Awards

Cena Nadácie Tatra Banka 2021- nominated in a Design category 

Slovak Design Award 2021 – Main Award – Society & The Environment 

Talentshop 2020, Habitare –  Selected designer

Slovak Design Awards 2019 – Jury Award for project ConTEXt 

Bratislava Design Week Awards 2019 – Best product

YTAT Young Textile Art Triennial 2016 Łódź, Poland
3rd prizeYTAT

Young Textile Art Triennial 2016 – Rector’s Award
Strzemiński Academy of Fine Arts Łódź, Poland

Academy of Fine Arts and Design Rector’s Award 2015
Bratislava, Slovakia
MA project Digital Aesthetics

New Face of Bratislava Design Week, 2015

Create your own contest/ Think Big, 2013
Winner with the collection Forme Oublié

Upholstery, 2009Messe Frankfurt, Germany
Finalist with the project Check-deck chair

Education

2018 – 2021

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

Internships

October 2012 – January 2013 | Alexander McQueen, Digital print

September 2011 – February 2012 | Volkswagen AG Design, Colour and Trim department

Working experience

August 2021 – present | print designer at H&M, Stockholm, Sweden

January  – October 2020 | Aalto School of Art, Design and Architecture, Research Assistant, Helsinki, Finland

October –  December 2019 | Clerici Tessuto, Illustrator and Print Designer, Como, Italy

2019 – 2020 | Pattern Lab, Textile Designer, Vice chair, Helsinki, Finland

2020 – 2021 | Vanelli Textiles, Freelance Print Designer, Bursa, Turkey

2019 | Isadore Apparel, Freelance print designer, Bratislava, Slovakia

2015 – 2019 | Mitwill Textiles Europe, Prints Designer, Mulhouse, France

2016 – 2019 | Nehera, Fashion Print Designer, Bratislava, Slovakia

2016 – 2018 | Beard and Fringe, Print Designer, Bratislava, Slovakia