Gus Casely-Hayford

The director of V&A East, Gus Casely-Hayford, discusses how the things we make and possess – from the humble to the magnificent – are central to what it means to be human.

Taking 12 fundamental needs, and pairing them with an object from the last six centuries, he expands on Abraham Maslow’s ‘Hierarchy of Needs’, arguing that – from warmth to family, food and a sense of purpose – objects are deeply revealing of what makes us human. 

In Objects & Us, with more than 100 illustrations, he takes the reader on a tour of both commonplace and exceptional objects from around the world, showing how they reveal our histories, our needs, our connections, desires and priorities, and their importance in our lives.

Dr Gus Casely-Hayford, OBE, Director of V&A East, is a curator and cultural historian who writes, lectures and broadcasts widely on culture. He was formerly Executive Director of Arts Strategy, Arts Council England, and more recently Director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art in Washington, DC.