Conoid coffee table
The works of Japanese-American George Nakashima (1905-1990), who has gained tremendous support from furniture lovers in recent years, are being reevaluated.
George Nakashima was a woodworker who sincerely listened to the "heart of wood," thinking of wood not as a uniform material to be processed according to drawings and dimensions, but as a life form with its own personality.
Min Glen I End Table
Apart from the George Nakashima Woodworker in New Hope, the only other place allowed to produce his work is Sakura Seisakusho in Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan.
This year, "Sakura Seisakusho" will celebrate the 75th anniversary of its founding.
Sakura Seisakusho was founded in 1948 by Akira Takamatsu and Shinichi Nagami, both born in 1923. The company is now run by Kosuke Nagami, son of Shinichi Nagami, who continues to carefully produce original furniture and works in the spirit of George Nakashima.
Meanwhile, after George Nakashima passed away in 1990, his daughter Mira Nakashima, who had worked for her father since 1970, took over the management of George Nakashima Studio in the United States.
Mira Nakashima
Nakashima's work continues to be produced in Japan and the United States, the two places that George Nakashima calls home.
And now, "Mira Nakashima Exhibition" will be held at Sakura Seisakusho's Ginza store to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the company's founding and the 100th anniversary of the founder's birth. A number of special pieces will be on display and for sale at this exhibition.
One of the topics of discussion is the production and release for the first time at Sakura Seisakusho of Mira Nakashima's Concordia Chair, which was designed in 2003 but not included in the Sakura Seisakusho collection.
Concordia chair
Also on display and for sale will be a George Nakashima coffee table made by "Sakura Seisakusho" from a unique wood selected with Mira Nakashima's sensitivity, the first public showing of a Mira Nakashima piece that will be produced by "Sakura Seisakusho" for the first time, and rare pieces and special editions not yet sold in Japan.
SLED Base Coffee Table
Arline Base Coffee Table
Minglen II Coffee Table
As mentioned above, George Nakashima was interested in giving furniture a second life by listening to the heart of the wood and adapting his designs to the grain, blemishes, and other characteristics of the wood.
It is also said that he valued the craftsmanship of artisans, and believed that the individuality of each craftsman and the differences in each production location should be taken for granted.
Therefore, the lineup and the impression of the works of "Sakura Seisakusho" and "George Nakashima Studio" are different, which is what makes Nakashima Furniture unique.
Bloglence Tools
Amoeba table Kaba-zakura
Noguchi side table
From this exhibition, we can sense the recent attitude of "Sakura Seisakusho" to create masterpieces for the future by expanding its lineup with new pieces and specifications, while cherishing George Nakashima's classic works.
In addition, a limited number of copies of "PROCESS BOOK by Mira Nakashima," a book detailing the philosophy and production process of the George Nakashima Studio, will be available for purchase.
Through rare photographs, illustrations, and careful explanations by Mira Nakashima, the book details the production process of the current George Nakashima Workshop, which was built to create mutual trust between maker and user while realizing George Nakashima's philosophy, as well as the workshop that George Nakashima designed and still serves as a base for his work. The book introduces in detail the production process of the current George Nakashima Workshop, which was designed by George Nakashima and is still his base.
The "Mira Nakashima Exhibition" is planned for the milestone anniversary year and features a variety of worthwhile contents. It is a must-see event for connoisseurs.
Finally, I would like to close this announcement with words from Mira Nakashima and Kosuke Nagami.
My husband John and I are very pleased to be working with the Nagami family in Takamatsu and at Sakura Manufacturing in Tokyo. My father, George Nakashima, met Shinichi Nagami through Masayuki Nagare in 1964 and had seven successful exhibitions with him at the Odakyu Hyakkan store in Shinjuku. after his death in 1990, I had two exhibitions with him at the Odakyu Department Store and at Sakura Shop Ginza. This will be my second exhibition in Ginza, and I am pleased to present the new "Process Book" along with several designs created since 1990. We hope you enjoy the new Mira variations as much as George's original designs!
November 2023
Mira Nakashima
In 1948, Akira Takamatsu and Shinichi Nagami founded Sakura Seisakusho. Both were born in 1923. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the company's founding and the 100th anniversary of their births. Mira Nakashima comes to Japan for the first time in many years after the new Corona pandemic. Counting 60 years since George Nakashima and Sakura Seisakusho first met, Mira and I will continue to carry on the spirit of not only the works that have been bequeathed to Japan, but also the spirit of the company.
Kosuke Nagami
Mira Nakashima Exhibition
Dates: Sunday, November 19 - Tuesday, December 26, 2023
Hours: 11:00-18:30
Venue: Sakura Seisakusho Ginza
Address: Hulic Ginza 3-chome Building 1F, 3-10-7 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Phone: 03-3547-8118
Mira Nakashima
He studied architecture at Harvard University and received his master's degree from Waseda University. After his father's death in 1990, he took over his father's studio and continued his philosophy and furniture production as president and creative director. At the same time, he has been producing his own works one after another. He continues to work with his family at George Nakashima Woodworker in New Hope, Pennsylvania.
