‘There’s a spirit in trees and it’s very deep’, says George Nakashima in the video shown below, ‘and…in a fine piece of furniture the spirit of a tree lives on and I can give it a second life’.
Published in May 2013, this short documentary on influential and revered furniture maker George Nakashima (1905–1990), briefly charts his history and ethos prior, during and after his interment during the second world war.
Nakashima is regarded as one of the formative designers in wood of the twentieth century. His designs pay homage to trees and the natural variations and formations of wood, in particular slab sections that frequently feature butterfly keys as a strengthening and decorative feature.
‘Dad really believed that there are spirits in the wood that enhanced people’s lives’, says daughter and furniture designer Mira Nakashima who learnt from her father from an early age by watching him work. Mira Nakashima is heir to her father’s work in both a physical and spiritual sense as she continues to design and make in his style.
Nakashima’s book ‘The Soul of a Tree’ is seminal reading for furniture makers.
PS: Seeing a glimpse of the size and contents of the Nakashima wood ‘shed’ towards the end is well worth waiting for.