Nendo

Nendo is a design studio founded in Tokyo in 2002 by Japanese designer Oki Sato. The name «nendo» translates from Japanese as «clay», a pliable and flexible material that represents the studio’s approach to design: adapting, changing form, responding sensitively to its surroundings and engaging with human emotions.

Oki Sato was born in Canada and studied architecture at Waseda University in Tokyo. The studio gained international recognition through projects that combine functionality, visual lightness and a subtle sense of humour. Oki Sato became one of the most recognisable voices in contemporary design through active work in Japan and Europe.

Approach and philosophy
Nendo projects balance minimalism, an intelligent concept and elegant irony. The studio often examines everyday objects and transforms them into design surprises with new functions or unexpected visual effects. The principle of «small moments» forms an important part of the studio’s philosophy: every object should awaken emotion and create an inner smile.

Iconic projects
Cabbage Chair for Issey Miyake is an armchair made from leftover clothing fabric that opens like a cabbage without glue or nails.

Thin Black Lines is a furniture and objects series that resembles graphics drawn through space.

Snow Table for Cappellini is a table with a surface that appears to have been covered by snow, imitating natural accumulation on a smooth surface.

Tokyo Tribal Collection for Singaporean brand Industry+ is modular furniture in a Japanese style with a tropical accent.

Collaborations with global brands
Nendo has collaborated with companies including Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Cappellini, Kartell, Glas Italia, Moroso, Fritz Hansen, Flos, Boffi, Häagen-Dazs and many others. These projects are recognisable for their characteristic restraint, attention to detail and concise visual language.

Nendo and Minotti
Nendo’s collaboration with Minotti became a significant event in furniture design. The Torii collection debuted in 2023, inspired by traditional Japanese torii gates. The line combines the Japanese idea of spatial lightness with Minotti’s architectural precision.

The Torii collection includes:

Torii sofa is a modular sofa.

Torii armchairs are armchairs in different formats.

Torii Nest comprises lounge versions with woven backs.

Torii coffee/side tables include coffee tables and side tables.

The furniture features visual lightness, rounded forms, a floating construction and careful proportioning. The Japanese aesthetic of the «invisible» combines naturally with the Italian understanding of object architecture. The collaboration began an enduring partnership, and Minotti continues to develop the collection by expanding it each season.

Recognition
Oki Sato and Nendo have received numerous international awards, including Designer of the Year recognition from Wallpaper and Elle Decor, along with Red Dot, Good Design and Compasso d’Oro awards. The studio’s work is included in the collections of MoMA in New York, the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the V&A Museum in London.

Nendo represents a new voice in Japanese design, where rigour becomes poetry and every object becomes a visual and emotional experience. The collaboration with Minotti established the studio as one of the leading authors in contemporary furniture design.