George Nakashima

Born in Spockane, USA, in 1905, cabinetmaker and designer George Nakashima comes from a Japanese family. He began his studies at the University of Washington, then studied at the American School of Fine Arts near Paris. He then obtained his master’s degree in Architecture from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1980.

He began his career as an architect-designer in New York State, then moved to Japan. From then on, Nakashima’s life is marked by many trips, between Europe, India and China. A bohemian artist, he notably passed through Paris in the early 1930s, which enabled him to frequent the artistic Avant-Garde in the Montparnasse district.

He then moved back to Japan for two years, where he reconnected with his origins. There he discovered the design and architecture of the Japanese archipelago with the architect Antonin Raymond, a pupil of Cass Gilbert and Frank Lloyd Wright.

In 1942, he worked again in the United States and learned woodworking – as well as patience and discipline – with a Japanese master carpenter, Gentaro Hikogawa.

In 1943, Raymond Antonin helped him to move into a new studio in New Hope, Pennsylvania. His most famous pieces then began to be thought out, drawn and produced, always emphasizing the natural beauty and simplicity of wood. Often with rough edges, and a special emphasis on craftsmanship… Indeed, as a true craftsman, Nakashima limits his production to what he can do himself, with the help of only a few assistants.

In 1973, his agency greatly grew, notably thanks to private collectors, the Rockefeller’s, for whom he designed more than 200 pieces. Each of his pieces is an unique work, which he created for a specific place, and most often intended for a very particular place. Nakashima develops a butterfly-shaped clip allowing him to join two pieces of wood which will become his signature.