Monstruosus Planters
From the depths of the Mediterranean Sea to the heart of your living space, the imi ceramic planter collection by Michael Anastassiades reimagines the Grecian urn—an iconic form that has endured millennia. Just as ancient amphorae once carried olive oil and wine across the Mediterranean, these planters carry timeless beauty and artistic elegance into your home.
“My fascination with plants comes from my mother who always surrounded herself with them in our home. Growing up in Cyprus, where water is scarce for much of the year, the presence of greenery-–inside and outside felt incredibly precious, almost sacred.”
Michael Anastassiades
Drawing inspiration from the classical pottery of Anastassiades’ native Cyprus, the imi collection comprises three distinct shapes, each thoughtfully crafted to echo the elegance of historical forms while embracing a simple, contemporary aesthetic. These vessels are designed not just as functional planters but as sculptural objects that elevate the ambiance of any room. Their generous proportions and smooth, curvilinear surfaces create a stunning backdrop for lush greenery, allowing your plants to thrive and transform your space into a tranquil oasis.
The imi collection by Michael Anastassiades invites you to blur the lines between nature and artistry. Here, plants become part of a larger narrative, where history, nature, and design meet in perfect harmony. Each planter serves as a canvas for your botanical displays, encouraging you to express your individuality and style. Whether placed in a sunlit corner of your living room or nestled among the blooms in your garden, these ceramic planters are more than just containers; they are statements of beauty, sustainability, and a celebration of the natural world.
The Collection is crafted using high-quality earthenware, which not only ensures durability but also offers a unique aesthetic that showcases the beauty of natural materials. Each planter is finished with a multi-step glazing process, resulting in rich, vibrant colors and textures that reflect the light beautifully.
planters are intended for indoor and outdoor use. due to the expanding properties of frozen water in soil, planters left outdoors may crack if left in temperatures that dip below freezing. handle with care and do not drop on a hard surface. monstruosus planters will not discolor. when cleaning, do not use supplies with pumice or grit, as it may harm or diminish the glaze. each planter is designed with a drainage hole and saucer.
matte glazed earthenware ceramic available in three colors: sand, brick and steel. made by humans. made to last.
monstruosus ceramics are made by humans, not machines. each piece is handcrafted using a slip-cast mold. our experienced casters begin this intensive process by creating a wet, viscous clay slurry that is poured into a plaster mold. once the clay is “leather hard” they free the planter from its mold and shave it, sculpt its lip, and sponge its sides to achieve a refined texture. after drying for a couple of days, the planter is transported to the kiln where it’s baked at just under 2,000 degrees fahrenheit. here, the clay undergoes a chemical transformation that activates its natural silica deposits, hardening it into a durable shell. they then spray it with a matte glaze and fire in the kiln once more to activate its vitreous enamel finish.
For purchasing and/or any product inquiries, please contact sales@monstruosus.com
Designer
Michael Anastassiades is a Cypriot-born, London-based designer whose practice encompasses product, spatial interventions and experimental works, often transcending the distinctions between different fields of creativity.
Anastassiades’ practice contemplates both industrial production and artisan techniques. In doing so, it expands into a vivid, nuanced balance between improvisation and structure, control and intuition. With a career spanning more than 20 years, Anastassiades has conceived lights, furniture and objects characterised by a poetic yet rigorous interpretation of technology, materials and functions. His work draws inspiration from many sources, which he distills into pure, simple structures. From nature to archaic references of his native Cyprus, the history of Modernism, very personal memories, art and everyday life, he transforms a rich set of diverse references into a timeless vocabulary of form and structure.
The collection takes its name from imi, the Greek word for "half," a reference to the hemisphere; a pure and elemental form found both nature and classical architecture. This idea of balance and proportion is central to Anastassiades' design philosophy, where simplicity and timelessness converge. Just as ancient amphorae were shaped by both function and artistry, each planter in the imi collection embodies a harmony between past and present, sculptural beauty and everyday utility.