nendo
He named his firm ‘Nendo’, the Japanese word for modelling clay; he uses manga-like sketches to illustrate his design concepts; and he creates some of the most imaginative furniture in the world: he is Oki Sato, one of Japan’s most prolific designers. At any given moment, he has hundreds of projects in the works – architecture, interiors, furniture, tableware, and more. ‘There is nothing I would not design,’ says Sato.
Sato renders his designs with remarkable conceptual clarity. At the outset, he allows his imagination to run wild and then documents his idea with a simple black line drawing – be it a bathroom basin defined by a single, ceramic swirl or a pair of wooden chopsticks that twist together to become one. These 2D images are converted into minimal 3D shapes described with clean outlines and a largely monochrome palette. Like a traditional Japanese ink painting, which constructs an image with just a few brush strokes, Sato extracts the unnecessary and eliminates distraction.
Featuring Sato’s original sketches, full-scale product images and explanatory texts, nendo uncovers and unpicks the designer’s unique creative process, guiding the reader step-by-step through his innovative and playful world to reveal the secrets behind fifty of his inimitable works.
Thames & Hudson was founded in 1949 by Walter and Eva Neurath. Their passion and mission was to create a ‘museum without walls’ and to make accessible to a large reading public the world of art and the research of top scholars. To reflect its international outlook the name for the company linked the rivers flowing through London and New York, represented in its logo by two dolphins symbolizing friendship and intelligence, one facing east, one west, suggesting a transatlantic connection.
Today, still an independent, family-owned company, Thames & Hudson is one of the world’s leading publishers of illustrated books with over 2,000 titles in print. We publish high-quality books across all areas of visual creativity: the arts (fine, applied, decorative, performing), architecture, design, photography, fashion, film and music, and also archaeology, history and popular culture. Our children’s books list is also expanding. Headquartered in London, we have a sister company in New York (Thames & Hudson Inc.). Since 1970, Thames & Hudson Australia has operated from Melbourne as both an originating publisher and sales and distribution provider. We also have subsidiary sales and distribution companies in Hong Kong (Thames & Hudson Asia) and Paris (Interart).
Extent: 96 pp
Format: Hardback
Illustrations: 1
Publication date: 2024-11-21
Size: 37.0 x 26.0 cm
ISBN: 9780500026489
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