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 It doesn't easily become outdated, doesn't easily break, can be easily repaired, and always has a purpose.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
Curators: Jürgen Laub
Exhibited products: Pendulum
Location: Zurich, Švica
Date: november 2023

2023

VENNA DESIGN WEEK 23
Curators: Laura Houseley, Sébastian Mathys
Exhibited products: Pendulum, PLUSminus, Svetilnik
Location: Dunaj
Date: sept 2023

2023

BIG ARHITEKTURA 2023
Curators: Zmago Novak
Exhibited products: Pendulum
Location: Ljubljana, Slovenija
Date: 15.05.2023 - 16.15.2023

2022

MESEC OBLIKOVANJA 2022
Curators: Zmago Novak & Lara Perša
Exhibited products: Pendulum
Location: Ljubljana, Slovenija
Date: 06.10.2022 - 06.11.2022

2022

Design without borders: BUDIMPEŠTA
Exhibited products: Pendulum
Location: Budimpešta, Madžarska
Date: 02.10.2022 - 06.11.2022

2022

Zagreb Design Week
Exhibited products: Pendulum
Location: Zagreba, Hrvaška
Date: 06.09.2022 - 11.09.2022

2022

Created in Slovenia - Cukrarna palača
Curators: Mika Cimolini (CZK-MAO)
Exhibited products: PLUSminus, Pendulum
Location: Ljubljana, Slovenija
Date: 27.05.2022 - 02.10.2022

2022

Novi časi / New Times: MILANO
Curators: Mika Cimolini (CZK-MAO)
Exhibited products: Pendulum
Location: Milano, Italija
Date: 07.06.2022 - 12.06.2022

2021

Future of Living: VIENNA
Curators: Zala Košnik, Mika Cimolini,
Exhibited products: Svetilnik, GRAVITA
Location: Dunaj, Berlin, Milano, Zagreb, Sofija, Budimpešta
Date: 05.03.2021 - 25.04.2021

2020

BIO26
Curators: Thomas Geisler together with assistant
curator Aline Lara Rezende
Location: Ljubljana, Slovenija
Date: 14.11.2019 - 09.02.2020

2020

[Tunel 29] - Ljubljana, MAO
Curators: Mika Cimolini (CZK-MAO)
Exhibited products: Svetilnik
Location: Ljubljana, Slovenija
Date: 18.06.2020 - 16.08.2020

2019

WE ARE OPEN 100%
Curators: Mika Cimolini (CZK-MAO)
Exhibited products: PLUSminus namizno, PLUSminus talno,
GRAVITA lestenec
Location: Milano, Oslo, Pariz,
Date: 2019 - 2020

2018

MESEC OBLIKOVANJA 2018
Curators: Zmago Novak & Lara Perša
Exhibited products: PLUSminus namizno svetilo
Location: Ljubljana, Slovenija
Date: 16.10.2018 - 15.11.2018

2007

SaloneSatellite, Edizione 10
Curators: Marva Griffin Wilshire
Exhibited products: Tongue Chair, Alone in Kyoto
Location: Milano, Italy
Date: april 2007

AWARDS

2023

BLICKFANG ZURICH
Awarded product: PENDULUM
Jury: JÜRGEN LAUB, STEPHANIE WITSCHI , ROLAND MERZ, ANNA BERG

2022

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

2022

Zagreb Design Week AWARD - 1. Nagrada
Awarded product: PENDULUM
Jury: ZGDW

2022

ZNAK ODLIČNOSTI
Awarded product: Pendulum
Jury: Vasa Perović, Jan Jagodič, Federica Sala, Leonora Jakovljević, Jeff Bickert

2021

ZNAK ODLIČNOSTI
Awarded product: Svetilnik
Jury: Vasa Perović, Jan Jagodič, Federica Sala, Leonora Jakovljević, Jeff Bickert

2021

ZNAK ODLIČNOSTI
Awarded product: Gravità
Jury: Vasa Perović, Jan Jagodič, Federica Sala, Leonora Jakovljević, Jeff Bickert

2021

ZNAK ODLIČNOSTI
Awarded product: PLUSminus lamp
Jury: Vasa Perović, Jan Jagodič, Federica Sala, Leonora Jakovljević, Jeff Bickert

2018

BIG SEE PRODUCT DESIGN AWARD 2019
Awarded product: Gravità
Category: HOME
Jury: Zmago Novak, Lara Perša

2018

SLO MANUS 2019 - BRONASTI MANUS
Awarded product: PLUSminus lamp
Jury: podjetje Manus