About The Designers | Mat Living India

Mohammed Ayub Ansari is among the first generation of true carpet designers in India, having worked as a weaver and dyer earlier to hone his skills. Born in the family of weavers, he developed a refined taste, and brought to India the Rollakan style of Scandinavian design sense. His work ethics stood out, as he immersed himself into the production process from teenage, earning his craft through sheer hard work. Working as a weaver helped him develop his visualization even better, and working as a dyer helped him gain an unparalleled color sense, and creating different shades naturally.

Hans Hosak carries a legacy of his own, having been born in the textile city of ‘Reichenberg’ in the first Czechoslovak Republic. He worked with 11 different textile companies in the Czech Republic, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. He always put the emphasis on function while maintaining strong quality. It led him to work with only natural yarns, as he believes raw materials to be extremely important. Having seen large rugs in his parents’ home from early childhood, Hans believes them to be the most important part of décor. He established Brokmatt Design AB in 1979.

Naimullah Ansari learned his art and craft from his father, and from consistent practice and perseverance. He perfected the art of Scandinavian carpet design, and fine-tuned the flat-weave Rollakan style. His legacy is that he took forward his father’s foundations and formed the formal design language of MatLiving that is followed even today. His immaculate design sense worked in parallel with the knowledge of entire production cycle, giving each design the right production method. In the days much prior to the digital age, it was the superior visualization skills without the aid computers and software that took a company forward, as it did in his case.

Barbara Hosak comes from a rich lineage, herself being the 7th generation in the field of textiles. She brought in sustainability to the fore, adding to the quality and design she inherited from her father. Social responsibility is her key contribution, especially after establishing Kateha in 1998. She runs schools and regularly forays into various development initiatives – both in her company as well as in her other social endeavors. She says “I believe that a long-term, fruitful cooperation is created on the basis of good relations where ‘soft values’ matters.”

Johanna Blom is a textile artist and designer, who has done her Master of Arts from Aalto University, School of Arts, Design and Architecture, which is ranked 6th in the field worldwide. She has specialized in research, art education, and multisensorial design. Her skills include textile, print, and surface design, and curtain design for interiors, contract, and retailing. Her achievements in textiles, especially rugs and carpets, have boosted MatLiving catalog with impressive rugs.

Ekaterina Zabel is a member of Russian Union of Artists, and there’s probably nothing more to be said about her class as an artist than this achievement. She honed her skills from the College of Design & Fine Arts of Muchina, Saint Petersburg. After almost a decade of working as a freelance interior and textile designer after her graduation, she moved to South Germany to her husband’s place, after the birth of her daughter. She continues to work as a designer for ambience, home and house textiles, wrapping paper, and photo albums.

Ida Jansson is our designer from Sweden who has honed her skills through rigorous education. Her focus on education made her study in various reputed institutions of Sweden, Finland, and England. She has studied in ‘Swedish School of Textiles, Sweden’, ‘Ewtek University of Applied Sciences, Institute of Art and Design, Finland’, and ‘Chelsea College of Art and Design, England’. The extensive education has helped her develop into one of the fine textile designers who has excelled in creating stunning carpet designs.

Jennie Sundin is your quintessential new-age designer who has focused on balancing art, design, and craft with high tech. She is focusing her energies on the scope of textiles as an element of architecture, site specific pieces and installations. She has also specialized in the usage of recycled materials, and how they add value to the environment. Textile leftovers and wastes from the industry or from the mass consumption of clothing and fabrics has been studied as a means of providing quality textile material, while adding sustainability to the design.

Aradhana Kapoor is a current generation creative professional, who has completed her Bachelor of Design in Fashion & Textile Design from the prestigious National Institute of Fashion Technology, Hyderabad, India and trained by working under various design masters from USA, Sweden, and Germany, having experience of over half a decade. Her work as a textile designer has been about working with weavers, printers, and artisans to create a product that has an international appeal and acceptance, and leading towards sustainable fashion. She has the ability to adapt to different types of textiles, like clothing, accessories, and carpets, among others. She lives to see her designs come alive, and carries an infectious enthusiasm that spreads to her co-workers.

Amra is a modern creative professional who is in the field of textile design only through sheer passion. She moved from BA Philosophy (H) to Fashion Design to follow her calling. The combination helps her understand art better by going deep into the contemporary living psyche and design language. Her training has been as part of working in the industry directly, learning the ins and outs from both the inside as well as outside perspective.

Maria Sandlund comes with deep legacy of education, training, and work experience. She honed her skills with BA in Textile Design from the School of Textiles in Borås (2006) and an MFA in Design from HDK, University of Gothenburg (2010). She has also taken weaving courses at Sätergläntan and Kyoto, Japan She has worked extensively in India, Tokyo, Sweden, and New York, and specializes in knotted and woven rugs. She started her own company in 2011, and has exhibited her designs across textile genres in different parts of the world, especially Stockholm Furniture Fair.