Nakashima House, Location: New Hope PA, Architect: George Nakashima
George Nakashima was the architect turned craftsman-designer who changed woodworking by embracing the ‘imperfections’ and natural character of nature. The grandson of a Samurai, this American Nisei, embarked on an around-the-world, several-year journey during the Great Depression. He was a seeker looking for a way to have a meaning in his creative life. He actually found life-changing answers in Japan and French India. He returned to America with the special knowledge he found and used it to create designs the world had never seen before. The documentary features rare interviews with George from the 1980s, his last decade of life. Through interviews with his family, woodworkers, design historians, they reveal how to understand this complex man who embraced the natural, the simple, and fine craftsmanship.
