George and Mira Nakashima Photographic Editorial at Olympic Sculpture Park

My Seattle design gallery (Thence By Descent) specializes in designs by Washington native and American Craft legend George Nakashima and his daughter Mira. Sharing some images taken by photographer Erik Sven of my George Nakashima Conoid Chair (designed in 1960, this example crafted in 1976) and Grass-Seated Chair (designed in 1947, crafted in 1959) and a Mira Nakashima Conoid Coffee Table (designed by George in 1960, crafted by Mira in 2017). The location is SAM’s Olympic Sculpture Park.

Mira summarized their designs: “Each piece of Nakashima is a conscious simplification of design that allows the wood to tell its own story, modulated by an architect’s eye for proportion and structure.” While you can’t see the specifics of the wood and details like the traditional Japanese joinery, hand-carved hickory spindles, and the seagrass patterns in these images, hopefully you can recognize George’s genius for proportions and structures as an architect. The first image is my favorite as it displays a silhouette that exaggerates the cantilevered seat. And yes, it is a very solid, stable, and sturdy chair. This particular example is 50 years old and will live for decades more.

George loved hiking trails in the Cascade Range and Olympics Mountains and admiring the trees. He believed trees had souls and a piece of wood could continue living a second life as an object. These pieces strike a pose as living models in these photographs.