Objects & Us: Why Things Matter

BOOK OF THE MONTH 

Every culture in history has imbued certain objects with special value, constructing systems and narratives to support their appreciation. Even our pre-human ancestors left behind evidence of collecting. Objects, then, tell important stories ― about humanity, creativity, what we need, and about who we really are or wish to be.

In Objects & Us, renowned curator and cultural historian Gus Casely-Hayford identifies twelve human needs, each chronicled in its own chapter, and pairs them with a variety of objects from the last six centuries, asking why these things and the human drive for creativity are important. Through a surprising and revealing selection of objects, from a carved wooden spoon to a stately silk dress, he identifies significant moments of cultural and creative innovation and expands them into larger stories that tell us why we design, make and collect. His aim is to show how the products of art and design are not simply evidence of human history, but are in fact what make us human in the first place.

Objects & Us takes the reader through the world of both commonplace and exceptional objects from all corners of the globe, showing how they reveal our histories, our needs, our desires and our priorities, as well as the way we live our lives.

"This fascinating book demonstrates how, from our pre-human ancestors to the present day, the things we choose to collect tell our stories." - Elle Decoration, Oct 2026

"Gus Casely-Hayford, director of the new V&A East, presents the compelling case that the act of making is far from being a mere luxury; rather, like the elements of bodily and spiritual survival, it is a driving force of our existence – ‘something we simply must do’", "‘What ultimately lingers for this reader is the notion of human dignity. Whether found in the stories of a political prisoner making illicit drawings on cigarette papers or female convicts stitching the Rajah Quilt on the long passage to Van Diemen's Land, our capacity to create and preserve meaning through culture remains the sine qua non of life in all its complexity. As the author reflects in closing: 'Time, language, difference and distance disappear in the face of the power of great art.'’’ - Aliette Boshier, World of Interiors, Oct 2026