About me

Matej Štefanac is an industrial designer with a background in architecture, working between Ljubljana and Krtince, Slovenia.His passion for design began during a one-year Erasmus exchange in Milan, where he first became acquainted with the magic of design. He has kept returning to Milan ever since, in search of business partners and inspiration.His main design interests lie in objects for home and public use, with a particular affinity for lighting. He has been involved in designing chairs, public seating, stools, and lounges, as well as lighting pieces of all sorts — table, floor, wall, ceiling, chandeliers, and more.

I design and develop everyday objects.

"I believe in lasting innovative design with the capacity to surprise."
Matej Štefanac standing next to the Gravità chandelier at the exhibition "We are open 100%", Milan Design Week 2019 Matej Štefanac standing next to the Gravità chandelier at the exhibition "We are open 100%", Milan Design Week 2019
Matej Štefanac and Queen Sonja of Norway at the Gravità chandelier, "We are open 100%", Oslo, 2019. Front view Matej Štefanac and Queen Sonja of Norway at the Gravità chandelier, "We are open 100%", Oslo, 2019. Front view
Matej Štefanac lecturing about the design of the Pendulum lamp at Mesto Akrobatov in Trbovlje, Slovenia, photo 3 Matej Štefanac lecturing about the design of the Pendulum lamp at Mesto Akrobatov in Trbovlje, Slovenia, photo 3

the 3 Principles

Through years of work, Matej Štefanac has distilled three core principles that define good design.

First, every good design has to be innovative, or at least contain some element of innovation — whether that innovation is technical or visual.

Second, every good design has to carry an element of surprise — a basic emotion only humans can feel. It may be brief, but once felt, it's never forgotten.

Third, good design simply lasts. It doesn't easily become outdated, doesn't easily break, can be easily repaired, and always has a purpose.

Good design is innovative.

Good design surprises.

Good design lasts.

EXHIBITIONS

2023

BLICKFANG Zurich
Kuratorji: Jürgen Laub
Razstavljen projekt: Pendulum
Lokacija: Zurich, Švica
Datum: november 2023

2023

VENNA DESIGN WEEK 23
Kuratorji: Laura Houseley, Sébastian Mathys
Razstavljen projekt: Pendulum, PLUSminus, Svetilnik
Lokacija: Dunaj
Datum: sept 2023

2023

BIG ARHITEKTURA 2023
Kuratorji: Zmago Novak
Razstavljen projekt: Pendulum
Lokacija: Ljubljana, Slovenija
Datum: 15.05.2023 - 16.15.2023

2022

MESEC OBLIKOVANJA 2022
Kuratorji: Zmago Novak & Lara Perša
Razstavljen projekt: Pendulum
Lokacija: Ljubljana, Slovenija
Datum: 06.10.2022 - 06.11.2022

2022

Design without borders: BUDIMPEŠTA
Razstavljen projekt: Pendulum
Lokacija: Budimpešta, Madžarska
Datum: 02.10.2022 - 06.11.2022

2022

Zagreb Design Week
Razstavljen projekt: Pendulum
Lokacija: Zagreba, Hrvaška
Datum: 06.09.2022 - 11.09.2022

2022

Created in Slovenia - Cukrarna palača
Kuratorji: Mika Cimolini (CZK-MAO)
Razstavljen projekt: PLUSminus, Pendulum
Lokacija: Ljubljana, Slovenija
Datum: 27.05.2022 - 02.10.2022

2022

Novi časi / New Times: MILANO
Kuratorji: Mika Cimolini (CZK-MAO)
Razstavljen projekt: Pendulum
Lokacija: Milano, Italija
Datum: 07.06.2022 - 12.06.2022

2021

Future of Living: VIENNA
Kuratorji: Zala Košnik, Mika Cimolini,
Razstavljen projekt: Svetilnik, GRAVITA
Lokacija: Dunaj, Berlin, Milano, Zagreb, Sofija, Budimpešta
Datum: 05.03.2021 - 25.04.2021

2020

BIO26
Kuratorji: Thomas Geisler together with assistant
curator Aline Lara Rezende
Lokacija: Ljubljana, Slovenija
Datum: 14.11.2019 - 09.02.2020

2020

[Tunel 29] - Ljubljana, MAO
Kuratorji: Mika Cimolini (CZK-MAO)
Razstavljen projekt: Svetilnik
Lokacija: Ljubljana, Slovenija
Datum: 18.06.2020 - 16.08.2020

2019

WE ARE OPEN 100%
Kuratorji: Mika Cimolini (CZK-MAO)
Razstavljen projekt: PLUSminus namizno, PLUSminus talno,
GRAVITA lestenec
Lokacija: Milano, Oslo, Pariz,
Datum: 2019 - 2020

2018

MESEC OBLIKOVANJA 2018
Kuratorji: Zmago Novak & Lara Perša
Razstavljen projekt: PLUSminus namizno svetilo
Lokacija: Ljubljana, Slovenija
Datum: 16.10.2018 - 15.11.2018

2007

SaloneSatellite, Edizione 10
Kuratorji: Marva Griffin Wilshire
Razstavljen projekt: Tongue Chair, Alone in Kyoto
Lokacija: Milano, Italy
Datum: april 2007

AWARDS

2023

BLICKFANG ZURICH
NAGRAJEN IZDELEK: PENDULUM
KOMISIJA: JÜRGEN LAUB, STEPHANIE WITSCHI , ROLAND MERZ, ANNA BERG

2022

OBLIKOVANJE LETA - Mesec Oblikovanja
IZDELEK: PENDULUM
KOMISIJA: Lenka Bajželj, Mateja Panter, Maja Tasič Demšar, Jelena Pirkmajer, Branko Uršič in predsednik Matjaž Zorc

2022

Zagreb Design Week AWARD - 1. Nagrada
NAGRAJEN IZDELEK: PENDULUM
KOMISIJA: ZGDW

2022

ZNAK ODLIČNOSTI
NAGRAJEN IZDELEK: Pendulum
KOMISIJA: Vasa Perović, Jan Jagodič, Federica Sala, Leonora Jakovljević, Jeff Bickert

2021

ZNAK ODLIČNOSTI
NAGRAJEN IZDELEK: Svetilnik
KOMISIJA: Vasa Perović, Jan Jagodič, Federica Sala, Leonora Jakovljević, Jeff Bickert

2021

ZNAK ODLIČNOSTI
NAGRAJEN IZDELEK: Gravità
KOMISIJA: Vasa Perović, Jan Jagodič, Federica Sala, Leonora Jakovljević, Jeff Bickert

2021

ZNAK ODLIČNOSTI
NAGRAJEN IZDELEK: PLUSminus lamp
KOMISIJA: Vasa Perović, Jan Jagodič, Federica Sala, Leonora Jakovljević, Jeff Bickert

2018

BIG SEE PRODUCT DESIGN AWARD 2019
NAGRAJEN IZDELEK: GRAVITA
KATEGORIJA: HOME
KOMISIJA: Zmago Novak, Lara Perša

2018

SLO MANUS 2019 - BRONASTI MANUS
NAGRAJEN IZDELEK: PLUSminus lamp
KOMISIJA: podjetje Manus