MAISON&OBJET

Michael Anastassiades Named Maison & Objet Designer of the Year for Winter 2020

Cypriot-born, London-based lighting designer Michael Anastassiades has been named Maison & Objet‘s Designer of the Year 2020 heading into the Winter 2020 show season this January.

For the poetic and inventive creator, this impressive distinction marks a wonderful full-circle moment in his career – which just keeps rising to new heights.

“When Michael Anastassiades launched his eponymous lighting brand in 2007, the first fair at which he presented his new designs was Maison & Objet,” the show shared in a press release. “Now, most aptly, he is coming back as Designer of the Year. In the interval, he has become one of the most poetic and prolific lighting designers working today.”

Michael Anastassiades. Photo by Eirini Vourloumis, imagery via Maison & Objet

“In his work, the Cypriot designer uses simple shapes and volumes – a sphere, a line, a circle – to create a rich language where uncertainty and imbalance are embraced,” the show shared of Anastassiades’ work. “The illusionary simplicity of his designs is a labor of love, and not something easily achieved. In his view, designers are there to create relationships and interactions between people and objects.”

Photography via Flos arrangements, Maison & Objet

With his lighting designs, Anastassiades focuses on the contrasts night and day, light and dark. And while he favors simple, timeless, and streamlined designs with a minimalistic aesthetic, there’s nothing easy about the work that takes him there.

“To design a light, one first has to embrace the darkness,” the designer shared. “Lights are a source of warmth, and what fascinates me most is the glow. It takes a lot of effort to make something look simple.”

In timing with his design honor, Anastassiades will be showcasing a complete experience for Maison & Objet show visitors. All 16 of his Mobile Chandeliers will be presented together for the first time in his brand’s history, all in a dark space and propelled by motors.

“For me, it is important to always show something different, make sure that what I design explores a new idea, [and] uses new technology in a poetic way,” he shared in a statement.

Maison & Objet will be taking place in Paris, France from January 17-21, 2020. Stay tuned to House Tipster Industry for all of the latest news ahead of the show, plus valuable post-event coverage.

Leave a Reply