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