Born in 1905 in Spokane, Washington, Nakashima, a Japanese American, started his career in design by studying architecture at the University of Washington, earning a bachelor’s degree in 1929. Not done with studies just yet, he eventually attended M.I.T. earning a Master’s degree in architecture in 1931. Though many ambitious young men may have jumped right into a career, Nakashima bought a train ticket around the world, eventually visiting such places as France, North Africa and Japan. Japan’s architecture and designs had quite the effect on the young, impressionable architect. Meeting up and working with an American architect living there, Antonin Raymond, Nakashima would have his first experience in furniture making while working on a project for Raymond’s company.
After his trip around the world, Nakashima ended up in Seattle in 1940 making furniture and teaching the art, where early on he exhibited both a passion and an immense talent for woodworking. The time period was a dangerous one for Japanese Americans, though, and Nakashima ended up being interned during the Second World War. It was there, however, that he met Gentaro Hikogawa, a Japanese furniture expert. Remembering his love and admiration for the Japanese designs he saw while in the country, he began to study under Hikogawa not just the design principles of the Japanese, but also how to use traditional Japanese woodworking tools and how to master the complicated and awe-inspiring tradition of Japanese joinery techniques, which are a way of combining wood pieces without using nails or glue.
Eventually, Raymond was able to sponsor Nakashima’s release from the camp, and brought him to Pennsylvania to make furniture in a studio with him. Working on design projects and commissioned pieces, Nakashima’s talent, skills and recognition grew quickly, and he was soon recognized for the immense talent that he was. Perhaps the largest commission of his career, Nakashima was once chosen to create over 200 pieces of furniture for Nelson Rockefeller’s New York state home. Some of Nakashima’s famous pieces are the Concordia Chair, the Conoid Host Chair and the Conoid Bench, but his most well-known designs are probably his tables, which often featured massive pieces of smooth wood tops with organic, rough edges placed on modern legs.
With his unique take on modern design ideals, mixed in with his appreciation and inspiration of Japanese traditions, Nakashima’s body of work was wholly unique and incredibly important to the history of modern furniture design. He would go on to win many AIA awards as well as the Third Order of the Sacred Treasure from the Emperor and Government of Japan in 1983.You can visit 1stdibs for many more photographs of Nakashima's gorgeous woodwork, and while there, be sure to check out some of the newest listings of Swank Lighting's products, too!
