She sees shoes as beautiful standalone aesthetic objects, that require skill and patience to perfect, as well as functional parts of our daily lives.
While Matea enjoys shoemaking as a form of creative self expression, and creates many of her works this way, she also enjoys the direct liaison of client and craftsperson. The collaborative relationship that is formed as a result of this liaison is often unexpected and leads to creative possibilities earlier unimagined.
Through the years Matea has expressed herself and her creativity through an array of various mediums; sculpture, jewellery, dressmaking, product design, styling, production design, dental technology, dance, event management, and even bodybuilding. Despite not being quite the right fit, these have all informed and developed her creative aesthetic and approach to craftsmanship.
Matea comes from a Croatian background and currently lives in Naarm / Melbourne, Australia.
Matea gained her qualifications and experience in Shoemaking through a Certificate IV in Custom Made Footwear, an apprenticeship with Master Shoemaker Eugenia Neave, and upwards of ten years of self taught exploration.
Matea has designed and handcrafted footwear for Sydney based couture label Nicol & Ford's runways at Australian Fashion week 2022, 2023 and 2024.
Matea's work has also been acquired by the Powerhouse Museum (Sydney), featured in an exhibition at Craft Victoria and featured in a national ad campaign for Johnnie Walker.
