In my view the face mask became an icon of 2021. I don’t think I had ever really worn one before, and I certainly never imagined I would see a fabric mask printed with my flowers – and yet here we are.
For a long time I wanted to test my illustrations on textile. The mask offered itself as a lovely small piece of fabric where I couldn’t really mess up too much. As always I also had to make sure the masks were functional – that they had technical properties which genuinely provide protection and are not just a pretty fashion accessory. The masks are made from 100% cotton and constructed from three layers. They offer very high protection, retaining as much as 98.8% of small particles sized 50–140 nm. The material was tested by the Jožef Stefan Institute in Ljubljana. It also mattered to me that the mask is gentle, soft and comfortable to wear.
At Moja Metraža the fabric was printed with Zoki.art’s typical floral motifs, which I painted in neutral tones. In this way I wanted to emphasise even more the natural material and its pleasant feel. The original illustration was painted in watercolour. Every sewn piece ended up slightly different depending on how the fabric was cut.
For the size I naturally chose a universal fit that sits well on most women’s faces. A thin wire is inserted in the top edge allowing the mask to adapt even better to the face. The mask is machine washable at 60 °C. Ironing directly over the print is not recommended.
Because it matters to me that an object I send out has a fully finished look, I packed each mask in a cotton pouch with care instructions.
I hope you like the result and my attempt at printing on textile. If they have to exist, let them at least be beautiful, comfortable and effective.