Rojana Ibarra: Post 1 George Nakashima

He has a very clean style and has been influenced by traditional furniture, in fact he joked and called himself a "Japanese Shaker." But at the same time leaves the natural essence of the wood allowing for the natural "imperfections" of the wood to be showcased. In researching Nakashima I fell in love with his clean lines and the beauty of the natural wood, especially the raw edges he so mush used. He carefully chose boards to showcase the natural forms of the wood such as the bench on the top left.

"To be intimate with nature in its multifaceted moods is one of the greatest experiences of life."

George Nakashima was a Japanese-American architect, furniture designer and wood worker. He was born in Spokane, Washington on May 24, 1905. He graduated from the University of Washington and got his Masters degree in both MIT and Prix Fontainebleau from L'Ecole Americaine des Beaux Arts in France. After World War II he married and was sent to a internment camp where he learned traditional Japanese carpentry from a man named Gentaro Hikogawa.

He truly blended both his Japanese and American cultures when creating his furniture and home. In fact the house that he built was all handmade without the use of any nails, which I found amazing. The furniture he designed for his house went on to be designs made and sold from his studio, like the three legged chair he named "Mira" after his daughter.

He was a very peaceful man, who was influenced by meditation and I feel that it really shows in his work. He really worked with the soul of the tree and let the natural beauty of it shine. He had respect for the wood and joined it with butterfly joints. I have always loved the look of natural wood with raw edges, so as I looked up the difeferent woodworkers I instantly fell in love with his work.