Nendo

His designs, characterised by an understated style, are extremely elegant. Nendo breathes a sense of purity and freshness into the most mundane everyday objects. This is where their genius lies. Based in Tokyo and Milan, Nendo was founded by Oki Sato, a world-renowned Canadian designer who trained in architecture at Waseda University in Tokyo.

The studio’s work is highly regarded, and Nendo has won several awards, including the Good Design Award in Japan and the German Design Award. In 2012, he was named Designer of the Year by Wallpaper* magazine, and Sato took part in Milan Design Week and created a ‘Rain Bottle’ installation at the 2014 edition of Maison&Objet in Paris.

Oki Sato is known for ‘The Cabbage Chair’, a futuristic object handcrafted from used, folded paper rolls, and more generally for his efforts to use recycled materials in his works, which form part of an eco-friendly approach. All of Nendo’s creations are highly acclaimed by both the public and art critics. Oki Sato employs his delicate and essential line in the pieces he produces in a highly poetic manner. He is one of the few designers who has succeeded in combining the simplicity of minimalism with a highly artistic flair.

The ‘Divide’ wall clock, distributed by the Japanese brand Lemnos, embodies all the hallmarks of Nendo’s style. Simplicity and elegance are evident both in the fluid form and in the choice of designs rather than numerals to indicate the time.