Alexandra Athanassiades was born in 1961 in Athens, where she continues to live and work. She began her higher education in 1978 at Franklin College in Lugano. In 1979, she was accepted at the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art at the University of Oxford, from which she graduated with honors in 1982 with a degree in sculpture and printmaking. She continued her postgraduate studies at Columbia University in New York and, in 1984, graduated with a Master of Fine Arts in sculpture. She also worked in set design in New York and Athens.

Athanassiades draws inspiration from fragments. Whether they are elements scattered throughout nature or intangible fractions of memory, fragments are an inherent starting point in her practice. Time and the gradual deterioration of primary elements, both material and immaterial, leave distinct and recognizable traces that tell stories that fascinate her. She sculpts, designs, paints, and photographs, carefully preserving scattered fragments of wood, metal, and paper, which she transforms into works of art.

From 1984, she has presented many solo exhibitions and participated in many group exhibitions. In 1995, she received the Princess Grace Foundation Award. Her works are held in important collections around the world.