Moderne Gallery presents A Personal Truth, an exhibition of works by George Nakashima (1905-1990) which highlight his harmonious, nature-driven design language and philosophy.
Recognized as one of the most important woodworkers and designers of the 20th century, George Nakashima’s body of work embodies a pureness of form, intention, and materiality.
Featured in the exhibition are a selection of works spanning decades evocative of a confluence of modern form and the truth and spirit of the natural world.
A Personal Truth explores various Nakashima designs, dating from the 1940s to 1990, which include highly expressive, free-edged tables, innovative, ergonomic lounge and dining style chairs, case pieces with exquisite handworked dovetail joinery, and other examples ranging from biomorphic candle sticks to a free-form print stand.
“The will must aspire to produce as fine an object as is humanly possible. Each man must find his own personal truth. The endeavor must be to bring out the beauty and proportion, the textures and depth of the material used, to produce something that may last forever. This may seem an anachronism in our age. But there is a battle to be won.”
– George Nakashima in his 1981 text “The Soul of a Tree”
September 10 – December 12, 2026
