Internationally-acclaimed lighting designer Michael Anastassiades is showcasing his work on a global scale in his first ever book titled “Things That Go Together.”
Released by Apartamento, the book’s title comes from the Cypriot native’s first survey exhibition in 2019 at NiMac in Nicosia, Cyprus — which featured carefully laid out displays of items that Anastassiades had discovered in nature or provided from his collections — including stones, fossils, lighting, furniture and small carved figurines to form a group of “things that go together.”
In partnership with Flos, an international lighting company originated from Italy, Anastassiades celebrated the release of “Things That go Together” at a September 30 unveiling party at his studio in London.
Anastassiades’ book takes the exhibition as a starting point for exploring his work and unique approach to design. The book features photos from the exhibition, essays reflecting on his early years in Cyprus — particularly the influence of its natural environment and local artists — and Anastassiades’ interest in exploring the psychological connection that humans share with the objects around them.
Anastassiades’ studio has designed products with various manufacturers including Flos, B&B Italia, Herman Miller, Cassina, Bang & Olufsen, Puiforcat and Fratelli Fantini, among others. He has designed signature limited edition collections for Nilufar Gallery, Milan, Dansk Mobelkunst, Copenhagen and Taka Ishii Gallery, Japan.
In a May 2019 article, the New York Times called his lighting design “poetically minimalist” and said it has “propelled” him to fame. Anastassiades’ work has earned him features in other publications such as TL Magazine, Il Sole, Elle Decor and Encore! Magazine, among others.
“I have a very obsessive nature when I’m passionate about something. My design practice is obsessive, the discipline behind it is obsessive,” Anastassiades said in an interview with Flos. “Even things that I enjoy personally in my life — I get obsessive about [them].”
“Things That Go Together” is the first ever monograph to celebrate Anastassiades’ work and offers readers a unique awareness of designed objects — both of their purpose and resonance.
The 132-page book costs €55 and is available for purchase via Apartamento.
See photos of the book and his work
Michael Anastassiades founded his London studio in 1994. He trained as a civil engineer at London’s Imperial College of Science Technology and Medicine before taking a masters degree in industrial design at the Royal College of Art.
Anastassiades’ work is featured in permanent collections at the Museum Of Modern Art in New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the MAK in Vienna, the Crafts Council in London and the FRAC Centre in Orleans, France.
Flos created a short feature video about Anastassiades’ and his mindset behind his work.
See the video
