George Nakashima, Grass-Seated Chair
“I have always been interested in meditation and mysticism. I think I’ve always been this kind of seeker. But I’m also Japanese enough and pragmatic enough to want to give this spirit physical expression.”
— George Nakashima
This interesting duality that we observe in Nakashima is something that many of us can relate to nowadays. We are living in an age where we too can define ourselves as seekers - so many opportunities are presented to us each day, the horizon of open possibilities is as big as ever. George Nakashima’s story is inspiring for those of us feeling that connecting the spiritual and practical world is a step forward, a step bringing us closer to having balance in our lives and feeling at peace.
George Nakashima was born in 1905 in Spokane to first-generation Japanese immigrants who found a new home in Seattle. Soon after he obtained his degree in architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology he decided to sell his car and with the newfound money set out to travel the world. After spending time in France and North Africa, his destiny eventually brought him back to his roots – Japan. For the next three years, he would work as an architect for Antonin Raymond, a protégé of Frank Lloyd Wright, and study the subtleties of Japanese design and carpentry. This experience would later greatly influence his design philosophy.
Styling ideas for a reading corner with the Grass-Seated Chair.
1. Side Table, Serax 2. Face Sculpture, Bloomingville 3. Poster, The Poster Club 4. Poster, The Poster Club 5. Vase, Muubs 6. Lamp, La Redoute 7. Grass-Seated Chair, Nakashima Woodworkers
It was Raymond’s Golconda Dormitory for Sri Aurobindo’s ashram that brought the young architect to Pondicherry, India in 1937. During his stay Nakashima began constructing furniture and became a disciple of the guru. Immersing himself in the teaching of Integral Yoga he realized that spirituality, the act of creating and life are not exclusive to each other, instead they can all be one. George is given the Sanskrit name Sundarananda which means “one who delights in beauty”.
Shortly after returning to the United States with his wife Marion Okajima, George felt disillusioned with the idea of what architecture and design became to represent - industrialization, modernity, and a fast paced life. He wanted to bring craftsmanship and traditional philosophies back in the art of design and most importantly he wanted to bring back the respect to nature and its materials. He felt a deep connection with nature, something that in his interviews he often says he owes to his Japanese roots.
“For as long as I can remember I’ve always felt a closeness to wood and nature. Part of this is probably racial. In Japan there is a reverence for wood and a gentleness toward nature that we don’t have here in the West.”
During World War II, Nakashima was interned with his wife in an Idaho relocation camp. This would prove to be another occasion for a breakthrough in his professional and spiritual growth. While being imprisoned he met Gentaro Hikogawa, a master woodworker that would tutor him in traditional Japanese crafting techniques. They would work together to improve the living conditions in the camp. In 1943, Antonin Raymond sponsored his release from the camp and brought him to his farm in New Hope, Pennsylvania.
Dining room ideas.
1. Grass-Seated Chair, Nakashima Woodworkers 2. Lamp, Pholc 3. Wall art, HK Living 4. Wall Art, HK Living 5. Table, Gubi
Drawing from the many experiences he had lived through, George Nakashima internalized the idea that he wanted to find some sort of intimacy with the furniture, to express himself and identify his beliefs through the craft of woodworking, rather than speaking through bigger and imposing structures as an architect.
Nakashima and his family remained in New Hope where he established his woodworking workshop and began his career as a carpenter and a designer. He started building furniture lines for Knoll, including the Straight Black Chair, which brought George’s work to a wider audience. He created unique pieces highlighting the wood’s natural beauty, the form and the grain. The Grass-Seated Chair might be one of Nakashima’s most innovative designs, originally created for MoMA's René d'Harnoncourt in the 1940’s. The color and texture of the seagrass seat compliments beautifully the elegance of the wood and make this chair look, as well as feel, comfortable and inviting.
“Instead of a long-running and bloody battle with Nature to dominate her, we can walk in step with a tree to release the joy in her grains, to join with her to realize her potentials, to enhance the environments of man.”
George’s decision to turn towards a simpler life, where the idea of a direct contact with materials, artisans and clients is more important than the imposed ego-driven design world is another point that makes us ponder on how these dynamics have evolved during the years. Today we are witnessing an even larger wave of people returning to their roots, trying to reconnect with nature, to contribute in their own way and to leave a positive mark behind them.
Nakashima’s story is truly inspiring not only because of the big heritage he has left in the history of American craftsmanship but also because it’s an example of a person actively searching for their meaning and working passionately and with purpose in order to find it. He believed that the beauty of natural materials should be thoroughly studied and respected to bring out the honesty and individuality of the material as well as those of the craftsman whose hands gave it a second life.
Today the studio is led by Mira, George’s daughter, who took over the company after her father’s death in 1990. Nakashima Woodworkers still produces his iconic designs as well as new ones.
