With this post a new series on BILDHÜBSCH starts. 'Her Superpower' shows inspiring, creative, brave and many more women, who simply do great things. Women, thoughts & things, I want to share with you. That's why I call it 'Her Superpower', because each of these women has a special superpower. Actually I think everybody of us has a superpower, we may just haven't explored ours yet. So please, feel inspired!
Let's get started...
Mateja Kovač, is living in Samobor, which is close to Zagreb, the capitol of Croatia. I discovered her illustrations and work on Etsy. Especially the romantic illustrations above caught my attention, remembering me on dreamy Midsommar girls standing there, beautiful and united with mother nature. In general Mateja has a beautiful way of capturing women in her illustrations I think – soft, but also strong & self-comfident. How Mateja become an illustrator and what inspires her? See and read more below...
Hej Mateja, first of all: How did you become an illustrator?
I'm a painter and illustrator with a master’s degree from the School of Painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb. Soon after my studies, I discovered the advantages of digital tools and working in Photoshop. As my beginnings in illustration were independent from publishing and graphic design, I developed my illustrations in a specific style - as independent art products. I began collaborating with international clients in 2013, and over the years my projects have ranged from outdoor and digital campaigns to applications for fashion items, packaging, stationery, presentations, and more!
What inspires you?
Fashion, design, film, and literature has always had a great influence on everything I do. European culture and heritage have always inspired me – stories of interesting, multi-layered characters, realistic backgrounds, and the beauty in imperfection. What inspires me in everyday life are little gestures and habits, daily rituals, different life paths, as well belongings that surround us in our living and work spaces.
Describe your home and what makes it special for you?
Right now I live and work in a small apartment surrounded by nature. Though I have always given much attention to interior decor, at one point in time I stopped rearranging the space in which I live. I love when my personal space is filled with daylight, that it’s clean, simple, practical and comfortable, without any unnecessary objects, besides some of my favorite pictures and plants. The only exception is a vase with fresh seasonal flowers that I often buy. Generally speaking, I’m not a “hoarder”, I don’t have the need to own many belongings. For me, my home is a place where I feel good with myself so that the magic can happen on paper.
Fashion, design, film, and literature has always had a great influence on everything I do. European culture and heritage have always inspired me – stories of interesting, multi-layered characters, realistic backgrounds, and the beauty in imperfection. What inspires me in everyday life are little gestures and habits, daily rituals, different life paths, as well belongings that surround us in our living and work spaces.
Describe your home and what makes it special for you?
Right now I live and work in a small apartment surrounded by nature. Though I have always given much attention to interior decor, at one point in time I stopped rearranging the space in which I live. I love when my personal space is filled with daylight, that it’s clean, simple, practical and comfortable, without any unnecessary objects, besides some of my favorite pictures and plants. The only exception is a vase with fresh seasonal flowers that I often buy. Generally speaking, I’m not a “hoarder”, I don’t have the need to own many belongings. For me, my home is a place where I feel good with myself so that the magic can happen on paper.
It’s hard for me to choose just one exciting collaboration. Since the beginning of my career, I’ve had the luck to be able to decide which projects I wanted to work on, and so I equally enjoyed working on all of them - whether it be a bigger or smaller task. I’d probably point out a marketing campaign I did for Hillcrest shopping mall in Canada, my long-term collaboration with Amelie pastry shop in Zagreb, and my work done for Papyrus stationery company, for which I created some of my favorite illustrations.
Currently I’m working on a project of my own - it will include various different motives divided into small themes, mostly to do with fashion, food and drink, weddings, entertainment. There’s a possibility that they’ll be available to buy online in digital format for personal and commercial use, which I’m sure will be interesting to many small brands and influencers.
And finally... what do you think is your personal superpower?
I have pretty strong intuition which often helps me to read between the lines and make better choices on my path.
Thanks Mateja!
Mateja Kovač page
Mateja Kovač Etsy shop
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