George Nakashima at Freeman's
"The woodworker has a special intensity, a striving for perfection, a conviction that any task must be executed with all his skill…to create the best object he is capable of creating".
– George Nakashima
George Nakashima was an American woodworker and architect. His utilitarian approach to design revolved around the principle that the tree is the most intimate contact with nature, with each having a destiny to be fulfilled.
“Each flitch, each board, each plank can have only one ideal use. The woodworker, applying a thousand skills, must find that ideal use and then shape the wood to realize its true potential.”
– George Nakashima
George Nakashima (American, 1905-1990) Grass-seated chair, 1958 | Sold for $3,520
Nakashima graduated from the University of Washington and MIT, where he studied architecture. After traveling through Paris and Japan, he began work on the Sri Aurobindo Ashram dormitory in Pondicherry, India, where he became a disciple and gathered most of his spiritual influence.
He then founded a shop in Bucks County, Pennsylvania on 3 acres of land, which expanded to include his home and worksite, both still in use today. His furniture served as a reactionary to the vanity of 20th century Modern design, and instead centered around direct contact with materials and clients.
George Nakashima (American, 1905-1990) Grass seated stool, 1958 | Sold for $3,520
Freeman’s is proud to present works by George Nakashima, alongside lots from other notable 20th century makers in our upcoming sale.
Art + Design Feb 26 | 10AM CT | Online