On design

Zlatko Shumkovski learned about design early. He studied its concepts and methods, including how design was understood in the 70s. His first book on design was by Goroslav Keller, a significant Yugoslav design theorist and critic known for his work in industrial design theory during the 1960s and 1970s. This book provided him with a solid foundation. Another early manual was a publication edited by Emilio Ambasz, issued during the Exhibition at MoMA, May 26–Sep 11, 1972, titled “Italy: The New Domestic Landscape,” which examined Italian design’s achievements and problems. He also regularly read Domus and other magazines. The curriculum at the Art and Design School in Skopje between 1971 and 1976 further deepened his practical knowledge. 

He pursued Furniture and Interior Design as his core interests. He developed these further during his academic studies in Belgrade in the 1970s, where he also gained architectural and theoretical knowledge. During this period, he built his first prototypes. He also created many ideas as models and drawings. In the early 1980s, rattan caught his attention as a material. Indonesian furniture producers impressed him, so he spent a period in Jakarta. There, he served as an Affiliate Architect and Designer for an architectural company. He also led a small furniture production unit.