About the designer

George Nakashima (b. 1905 – 1990) was one of the most influential American furniture designers and woodworkers of the twentieth century. Born in Spokane, Washington, to Japanese immigrant parents, he studied architecture before extensive travels through Europe, North Africa, and Japan shaped a deep regard for material, place, and craftsmanship.

After the internment of his family during the Second World War, Nakashima learned traditional Japanese woodworking from master carpenter Gentaro Hikogawa. In 1943, he established his workshop in New Hope, Pennsylvania, where he combined architectural precision, Japanese craft traditions, and the philosophy of Integral Yoga to create furniture that celebrated the natural beauty and individuality of wood.

From his free-edge tables and signature butterfly joints to monumental Peace Tables, gifted to the continents of the world, Nakashima's work became defining examples of twentieth-century American craft. Today, Nakashima's legacy endures through his New Hope studio, led by his daughter, Mira Nakashima, who continues to preserve his vision through expressing a belief in craftsmanship as a force for unity and humanity.