Johanna Jaskowska's glossy digital masks take our obsession with glazed skin to new levels

Interview taken from SYKY Magazine: Issue 03

Johanna Jaskowska is a legend in the digital fashion space. The Madrid-based tech artist and designer has been at the vanguard, co-creating and selling the first blockchain digital fashion piece in 2019, blowing up beauty standards with her viral Beauty3000 filter, which transformed over five million faces into surreal, plastic-y perfection, and working with big names like Lady Gaga, Valentino, Givenchy, and more. Talking to Jaskowska for the new issue of SYKY Magazine, which explores digital identities and is available to collect now, was a rare opportunity to speak to someone there since day one. 

Of course, Jaskowska's story didn’t start in 2019. Over email, the designer describes a lifelong fascination with the intersection of beauty, identity, and technology. “As a child, I was captivated by video games, anime, and immersive art – all mediums that allowed you to embody different characters and realities.” That early enthralment took on a new shape when she discovered tools like augmented reality, which allowed her to create new visual identities unfettered by physical restrictions – something she relished. “Digital beauty became a space to explore concepts that couldn’t exist in real life, which is an endless playground for me.”

Today, Jaskowksa is at the forefront of exploring the limitless possibilities of AI through uber-glossy masks – glazed skin, anyone? – and otherworldly avatars. While she's moved on from AR, that central theme of identity remains, with the designer divulging plans for a personal digital beauty experiment that expands on ideas she first developed during art school. We caught up with the pioneering creative, who recently opened PATIO, her Madrid design studio, to find out more about where she thinks tech is heading and what that means for our digital identities.

How do you use your work to explore identities? Is it a personal reflection of something you’re feeling and expressing through your work, or is it more of an exploration of alternative identities?

Johanna Jaskowska: It’s both. At times, my digital work mirrors what I’m feeling inside: fragmented, hyperconnected, yearning for change, or simply surrendering to the joy of spontaneous creation. Other times, it’s about pushing the boundaries of what’s possible: imagining new archetypes, rewriting standards, and crafting identities unbound by gender, race, or physical form. There’s something deeply liberating about designing identities that exist solely in the realm of imagination.

You co-created and sold the first-ever blockchain digital fashion piece in 2019. What’s the most exciting technological change you’ve experienced in your digital fashion practice since then?

Johanna Jaskowska: Definitely AI for image generation. The possibilities for experimentation and creative production feel endless. Unlike traditional 3D engines, AI doesn't limit us to what's technically possible; it expands the boundaries of visual storytelling. I'm especially drawn to the unexpected outcomes that new tools can unlock, and with AI, there's still so much unexplored terrain to play with.

Did you have any idea how far digital fashion would come in five years?

Johanna Jaskowska: Back then, digital fashion felt niche and speculative. I believed in its potential, but didn’t anticipate how rapidly it would evolve. What’s been most surprising is how it's hacked mainstream culture – from gaming and red carpets to virtual wardrobes in the metaverse. Today, it’s no longer just about aesthetics; it also encompasses ownership, sustainability, and self-expression across hybrid spaces.

While it still holds a niche feel in some areas, its most striking impact has been how it has inspired and influenced the broader fashion industry. We’re no longer operating in separate physical and digital spheres. Instead, we’re living in a moment where both worlds blend and feed into each other, creating something entirely new.

Why did AR speak to you as a form of expression in your early career? What do you see as the future of AR in light of Meta shutting down Spark AR?

Johanna Jaskowska: AR was the first medium where I felt I could experiment with beauty on a global scale, using faces as my canvas and collaborating directly with people through Instagram. It felt spontaneous, playful, and collective. But after a few years, I began feeling limited by the low-resolution output and became increasingly drawn to high-resolution imagery – something AR couldn't deliver then.

When Meta announced the end of Spark AR, it was a tough transition. My work of the past five years essentially vanished overnight. But, in hindsight, it was a necessary shift. I was already deep into experimenting with photography, 3D, and AI, and the shutdown gave me space to get fully into these new tools. I haven’t felt this level of excitement since I first discovered AR.

Letting go of AR allowed me to evolve creatively and align with what I want to explore. I might return to it when the tools become more advanced and it feels relevant again. For now, I’m focused elsewhere. That said, AR is far from over. The central idea of augmented identity will continue to expand as it becomes more integrated through wearables, spatial computing, or digital accessories.

Alien-like avatars and glossy masks are something you're currently exploring through AI. How did you develop this artistic approach?

Johanna Jaskowska: It's a continuation of what I was already exploring with AR filters; experimenting with new skins, gloss, iridescence, and chrome-like textures. It led me to ask: What happens when beauty transcends the human? What if we could shimmer, dissolve into digital materials, and appear entirely otherworldly?

I’ve trained my own AI models and started generating visuals that blend makeup, my AR aesthetics, and mesmerizing textures. It’s an intuitive, experimental process where I weave my influences into fashion and beauty codes. I often start with a photograph or an AI-generated image and then refine it using tools like Photoshop or Invoke AI until the visual balance feels right.

I love exploring that subtle edge that provokes a visceral response; when the viewer stops and asks, “Is this real?” If I can create that moment of tension and intrigue in myself and others, then I know the work has done its job.

You recently launched PATIO, your studio in Madrid. Congratulations! What are you working on at the moment?

Johanna Jaskowska: Thank you! The studio is a multidisciplinary image-making space exploring the convergence of fashion and technology. With a strong focus on concept development, we blend digital experimentation and forward-thinking design to craft bold visual narratives.

We're a team of four: Yuri R. Galván, Felina H. del Barrio, Carlos Ojeda, and me. We each bring a unique perspective, combining diverse backgrounds across digital and non-digital disciplines. The synergy from that mix is so valuable.  It's a space where we complement one another and continuously learn through collaboration.

While our work isn’t strictly centered on identity, our shared interest is pushing boundaries and taking a speculative approach to concepts. Honestly, this studio is the most exciting and fulfilling project I’ve ever worked on. 

Interestingly, I’m working on a personal digital beauty experiment that echoes a project from my first year of art school. It's a photographic series transitioning from a natural look to an extreme makeup one, documenting every transformation in between. Looking back, I hadn't realized that this deep dive into identity would become such a central theme in my work.

Collect SYKY Magazine: Issue 03 before April 7. Creatively directed by SYKY's artistic director Nicola Formichetti, this month's digital cover is by 3D artist and fashion designer Gabrielle Rosenstein. Keystone Holders get a free mint.