I’m a London-based independent print and pattern designer and I make offbeat, bold and modern designs which I apply to homeware and textiles. Inspired by sunny days and happy memories I use decoration and colour to inject joy into homes.
A passion for uplifting, colourful patterns
Born in London, to Greek parents – my mother is a painter who ran a colour workshop and my father an architect and teacher with a very modern aesthetic. From this background, and from spending childhood summer holidays on a Greek island where the Mediterranean light saturates everything with the colour and vibrancy of the sea, olive groves and busy street markets, patterns evolved that are bright and bold, abstract and colourful. Colour runs in my veins .
I studied History of Art and fell in love with the Bauhaus and Russian avant-garde movements, and after a qualification in Architecture, landed my first proper job at Elle Decoration magazine – the start of a long career in Graphic Design. This gave me the skill and motivation to go it alone eventually and concentrate purely on using colour and form as the tools to express myself in pattern.
A designer of both digital and screen prints
I combine both methods to produce end results depending on what I am trying to achieve. Digital printing allows for the use of an unlimited range of colours with less waste and reduced carbon emissions, while screen printing is more of a hands-on craft which produces exciting results. When screen printing I use eco friendly, water-based inks.
I work with the Working Well Trust’s Sewing Project to make many of my products. This is a mental health charity and non-profit organisation that helps people into employment. All Joanna Zenghelis products are made in the UK.
Supporting independent designers
As a member of Anti-Copying in Design Advisory Council (ACID), I’m part of the movement to help designers protect their intellectual property while supporting the design industry which is an important part of the UK’s creative economy.
