Armchairs — Creating Space: Design Online
George Nakashima (Japanese: 中島勝寿) was an influential Japanese-American artist, architect, and furniture maker. He is renowned for his mastery of woodworking and his philosophy of incorporating natural materials and traditional craftsmanship into his designs.
Nakashima's furniture designs emphasized simplicity, functionality, and the integration of nature into the living space. He believed in the spiritual essence of the materials he used and aimed to create pieces that harmonized with their surroundings and brought a sense of peace and tranquility to the users.
His signature designs often featured clean lines, elegant proportions, and meticulous joinery techniques. Nakashima's work showcased a blend of Japanese aesthetics, American modernism, and his own unique artistic vision.
Pierre Paulin was a French furniture designer and interior designer. His uncle Georges Paulin was a part-time automobile designer and invented the mechanical retractible hardtop, who was later executed by the Nazis in 1941 as a hero of the French Resistance. After failing his Baccalauréat, Pierre trained to become a ceramist in Vallaurius on the French Rivera and then as a stone-carver in Burgundy. Soon after, he injured his right arm in a fight, ending his dreams as a sculptor. He then went on to attend the Ecole Camondo in Paris. He had a stint with the Gascoin company in Le Havre where he gained an interest in Scandinavian and Japanese design. He was famed for his innovative work with Artifort in the 1960s and interior design in the 1970s.
At the time, his chair designs were considered very modern and unique and kick-started the successes of his designs among the younger population. Even today, his pieces are still being made and are sought after at auctions.
Jean-Michel Sanejouand was a French artist. His work ranged from environments to monumental sculptures, from readymade-like objects, to paintings of oneiric landscapes in which (usually) one of his sculptures stands.