Slovenia: Dušana Šantel Kanoni

Born in 1908 in Pazin, Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia (present-day Croatia) and raised in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Dušana Šantel Kanoni was the first woman to hold a diploma in architecture from the Department of Architecture at the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia (1925–1932), where she studied with Ivan Vurnik. After graduation she earned a scholarship that provided an opportunity to relocate to Paris, France, where she continued her education at L’École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs (c. 1933–1934); she earned an Enfance et Jeunesse diploma that permitted her to teach decorative drawing to children. Kanoni then worked in a variety of design disciplines including furniture design, landscape design, interior design, and architectural design. She showcased her work in exhibitions including the “Little Entente artists” (1933) and the “Young Slovenian Architecture” exhibition at the Jakopič Pavilion (1933). Kanoni passed her professional examinations while working for Vinko Krizaj (1945). After World War II, she worked as a junior civil engineer and a professor until her retirement (c. 1950). To honor her career, the work of Dušana Šantel Kanoni was featured in the retrospective exhibition “To the Fore: Female Pioneers in Slovenian Architecture and Design,” curated by Helena Seražin at the DESSA Gallery in Ljublijana, Slovenia (2016). She was also featured in the retrospective exhibition “Slovenian Women Artists 1850–1950: Architects and Photographers” curated by Barbara Savenc, Ana Porok, Dr. Marija Skočir, and Julija Hoda at the City Museum of Ljublijana in Slovenia (2023–2024). Kanoni died in 1988 in Ljublijana, Slovenia.