Jozef & La Brique et la Violette
Illustrator Jozef knows that a new pair of glasses is not something he chooses for just a few months. That’s why he always returns to ZITA knowing he’ll find a frame here that will stay with him for the next five years.
17. august 2026, Author: Barbara Garaj, Photo: Jakub Čaprnka, archive: Jozef Gľaba
Jozef has been finding his way to glasses since childhood. As a child, he wore glasses he didn’t like, so in eighth grade he decided to stop wearing them altogether.
It wasn’t until university, while drawing, that he realised just how much he missed seeing clearly. After all those years, it was time to give glasses another chance.
“When I was a kid, I had ugly glasses that I was embarrassed to wear. It wasn’t until university that I realised how poorly I could see and that I needed glasses. So I told myself I’d go to ZITA and I’d definitely find something there.”
At ZITA, Jozef’s eyes were opened in more ways than one. Looking through a trial frame suddenly brought the world into sharper focus. He chose a transparent pair of glasses that stayed with him for several years, until they eventually wore out.
Years later, Jozef returned to ZITA, now at Pradiareň. What he appreciates most about his visits is the calm atmosphere in which he can choose his glasses. There’s no need to rush, and he takes his time until he finds his favourite among the frames.
“I wanted to move one step further from my transparent glasses while still keeping the frame subtle. The optician kept bringing me different models until we narrowed it down to three favourites. And that’s when the hardest part came. Choosing the one pair of glasses that would stay with me for the next five years.”
Jozef is one of those artists who are constantly creating with their hands. When choosing a frame, design matters to him just as much as comfort while he works. He found both in a round model by the French brand La Brique et la Violette.
This time, he moved on from transparent glasses to green, the colour he likes most about his new frame. And although he would never reach for leopard print when it comes to clothing, he has grown quite fond of it on the temples of his glasses.
Creative energy pulses through every corner of Jozef’s studio. Unfinished illustrations lie on the table, older works rest in drawers and prints from different periods of his creative journey hang on the walls. This is where he spends most of his days as an illustrator, graphic designer and tattoo artist.
Jozef says with a smile that as a child he “stumbled upon a pencil by accident”. Studying graphic design eventually led him to illustration, along with inspiration from subcultures, graffiti and a constant curiosity to explore new artistic techniques.
Anyone who has come across Jozef’s illustrations or graphic work probably knows him under the pseudonym t0mas_jedno. It dates back to his graphic design studies, when he was setting up an Instagram profile and looking for a name he could hide behind, at least a little.
As these things sometimes go, the pseudonym took on a life of its own, and even today, someone will occasionally call him Tomáš.
His work moves most naturally between illustration, graphic design and linocut. He often finds inspiration right on the streets of Bratislava, transforming everyday situations into simple visuals filled with humour and sarcasm. Sometimes the punchline hits you straight away; other times, it remains hidden in the details.
He most often works with line and black. Working with paper has taught him patience and shown him how differently each surface responds to different tools.
But his curiosity also led him to tattooing, another artistic technique he decided to explore. Today, he shares his tattoos on his second profile, t0mas_navzdy.
“Tattooing is a completely new technique that keeps me alert and pulls me out of my routine. Paper and its properties can teach me a lesson too, but working with skin is teaching me a whole new kind of humility and patience. There is always room to grow and improve. And that’s what I find fascinating about it.”
When he isn’t creating, Jozef gets on his bike or experiments with fermentation. Even with this hobby, though, he doesn’t leave graphic design completely behind. He designed labels for his own kimchi and created original designs for his homemade jams.
