Fascinated by the social and cultural dimensions of objects, Stathis’ work seeks to foster meaningful relationships through today's sophisticated, mass-produced environment. He executes this goal by working in both the high-minded and popular realms, having designed for brands ranging from the Museum of Modern Art to Lava Lite. Stathis’ original 2006 Tube Top lamp represents one of several contributions to Pablo. Stathis is the principal leading Virtual Studio, a San Francisco-based design, development and licensing-venture studio with an emphasis in furnishings and products for both home and office. He has earned over 35 international awards within the past three years for his innovative designs featuring advanced aesthetics combined with cutting-edge technology. They have been widely featured within design and business press, including The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, and Inc. and Fast Company magazines. Works are included in the permanent collections of several major museums including The Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, The Denver Art Museum, and New York's Museum of Modern Art. Recent awards include Interior Design magazine Best of Year Award, New York’s International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) Editors Award, the International Design Excellence Award (IDEA), and the prestigious Red Dot Design Award. A graduate of Rhode Island School of Design and Cranbrook Academy of Art, Matthew began his career as a professional model maker. Although he enjoyed working with his hands, the lack of design input brought him back to industrial design. More than twenty years later, he reflects, “Although the tools have changed drastically, my design process remains steadfast. Now I embrace digital tools, not only because of increased efficiency, but more importantly, reduced risks. Being able to print in 3d fosters a deeper collaborative dialog between everyone involved and that’s a welcome aspect, because successful design development is always a team effort.” He has worked professionally in Los Angeles, New York City, and currently practices in San Francisco, California. Shortly after leaving Sony in 2007, Matthew founded Society Creative, leading a small team of designers to produce successful design programs for Fortune 500 brands and Silicon Valley startups. He is currently adjunct faculty, within the California College of the Arts graduate design department. Along with print and digital publications, prior work has been included in design exhibitions at San Francisco’s Museum of Modern Art, and New York’s Museum of Modern Art.