Brazilian architect Patricia Anastassiadis cites such great thinkers as Mariano Fortuny, Carlo Scarpa, and Gio Ponti as the masterminds who have influenced her work, but she gives the most credit to her parents. Her father’s bedtime stories and her mother’s work as a fashion designer, writer, and painter inspired her to embrace her own creativity. Now, she “cannot create a project without telling a story, otherwise it feels empty and meaningless,” she says. That approach has paid off. Since launching her eponymous firm in 1993 at just 22 years old, she has led the design of the famous Filomena restaurant in São Paulo and has worked for hospitality heavyweights including Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, and Hilton.
Her work has also bled into the product world, first with a collection of wardrobes for Ornare, and now a partnership with Artefacto that includes the Terracotta series, defined by its earth tones, and Cut Piece, which employs sharp cutouts and pointed edges for a modern look. Soft Fiction, by contrast, uses glass for its tabletops to create a terrazzo-like effect. “I believe experimenting is the best way to get inspired,” Anastassiadis says. “In Brazil, we have work that showcases heritage and affection. I always bring a tailor made [approach] when developing products.”
In addition to designing a new hotel in Rio de Janeiro, she has since signed on as art director with Artefacto and is expected to introduce new pieces with the company at São Paulo Design Week in August. “What amazes me,” she says, “is to live with the possibility of creating, whether it’s an architecture project or product design.”
Anastassiadis’ 2019 collection for Artefacto is inspired by her passion for shapes and materials
Photography by Victor Affaro and Salvador Cordaro
