Joanna Rusin, born in 1976, obtained a diploma from the Faculty of Textiles and Clothing at the Academy of Fine Arts in Łódź in 2002 in both the Carpet & Tapestry Workshop as well as The Painting & Drawing Workshop. In 2010 she received the Młoda Polska (Young Poland) scholarship which is given by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage to exceptional Polish artists of the young generation.
Rusin collaborates with producers for the traditional woolen carpets she creates. The main designer at Dywilan S.A., she is also involved with cultural institutions and design galleries in Poland and abroad. Her works may be found in the collections of the National Museum in Warsaw, the Central Museum of Textiles in Łódź and the Museum of Toys and Fun in Kielce. She has participated in over 80 Polish and international exhibitions. For her series of carpets-jigsaw puzzles she received awards in the competitions Child-Friendly Toy and Toy for Fun, and was named Best Young Designer by the magazine Elle Decoration in 2004.
Natural, woolen felt is the artist’s favorite material, and she often combines it with materials ranging from embroideries and lacework to wood, metal, rivets and ornamental plates. She boldly decorates with brocade and jets: the carpets Jets and Glow were embellished with Svarovski crystals.
In an interview for the magazine Czas na Wnętrze Joanna Rusin said that:
Felt is a great material for a designer. It’s nice to look at and touch, but it is also very plastic. It may be easily processed, one may cut it, shape it, dye it, print on it and embroider it. Felt comes in many colours and it has the qualities of nice, elegant wool.