Mira Nakashima’s “Maya Burl Table”

Description

Mira Shizuko Nakashima-Yarnell (b. 1942)

Mira Nakashima, artist. Mira Shizuko Nakashima-Yarnell (b. 1942) – Continuing the Nakashima Vision: Architect,Furniture  Maker, and Leader

Early Life & Education

Born in Seattle in 1942, Mira was interned with her family at the Minidoka War Relocation Center

during World War II. In 1943 they were released and relocated to New Hope, Pennsylvania, on the

invitation of architect Antonin Raymond. She earned a B.A. from Harvard University (cum laude,

1963) and an M.S. in Architecture from Waseda University in Tokyo (1966).

Working with Her Father & Evolving Role

Mira began working in the Nakashima studio in 1970, assisting her father, George Nakashima. After

his death in 1990, she assumed leadership as President and Creative Director of Nakashima

Woodworkers. She continues to produce both her father’s iconic designs and her own original work,

blending craftsmanship, architecture, and reverence for wood.

Design Philosophy & Contributions

Mira upholds and expands upon her father’s core philosophy: furniture as living work, each piece

shaped by the soul of its wood. She encourages collaboration in the studio and champions

sustainable processes-emphasizing that no two pieces are ever identical, as part of her design

ethos.

Exhibitions & Curatorial Work

Mira has curated and exhibited works including:

– Keisho Collection: Continuity and Change at Moderne Gallery, Philadelphia (1998)

– Nakashima Woodworkers: An Evolving Legacy at Moderne Gallery (2013)

– Nakashima Looks: Studio Furniture at the Michener (2019)She also contributed the Nakashima archives to the James A. Michener Art Museum in 2008.

Regional Roots & Influence

Mira has lived and worked in Bucks County since 1943, making New Hope both her lifelong home

and the creative center for the studio. The George Nakashima House, Studio & Workshop-a

National Historic Landmark spanning over 12 acres-is preserved as a site of architectural and craft

heritage in Solebury Township.

Legacy & Recognition

Mira continues to evolve the founding traditions, producing new work and preserving her father’s

legacy. She authored ‘Nature, Form & Spirit:

The Life and Legacy of George Nakashima’ (2003).

Under her guidance, Nakashima Woodworkers remains active today.