Oki Sato, alias Nendo, was born in Toronto, Canada, in 1977. After graduating in Architecture from Waseda University in 2002, he founded the Nendo studio in Tokyo. The name derives from a Japanese term that means "clay" and expresses his plastic and sculptural approach along with concepts of ductility and playfulness. This is the crux of Nendo's work on all scales, from interior architecture to furniture, installations and graphics. The Nendo studio is a team of forty young designers and architects engaged in the development of over two hundred projects per year. It stands out for its exceptional design freedom and ability to create simple, practical and surprising objects and furnishings. In 2005, Nendo opened an office in Milan and in 2012 in Singapore.
Nendo has formed numerous collaborations with leading international design brands like Bisazza, Moroso, Glas Italia, Georg Jensen, La Manufacture, Stellar Works, Desalto, Fritz Hansen, WonderGlass, Lasvit, Atelier Swarovski, Kartell, Nodus and Alias. The firm's long-standing partnership with Cappellini was celebrated in 2015 with an exhibition in Paris. The partnership led to the Ribbon stools, the Lucky carpet, the Peg bed, Drop double-sided bookcases, the Bambi table, the Koeda and Tuta coat racks. Collaboration with De Padova was also fruitful, giving birth to the ISHI, Chab, Tetris and SAIL coffee tables. For Minotti, Nendo designed the TORII, WEDGE and TAPE collections of sofas, stools, armchairs and tables. With Alias, he created the OKOME furniture line consisting of armchairs, coffee tables, poufs, dormeuse and cushions. He collaborates on lighting design with Flos, Louis Poulsen, Axor and Oluce and he redesigned and reinterpreted the Harcourt collection of crystal goblets for Baccarat.
Nendo has created retail interiors for Camper, Issey Miyake, la Rinascente in Milan and Starbucks. He conceived the new Tod's store on Omotesando in Tokyo in 2015, after collaborating with the brand in 2014 on the Envelope shoe. In 2013, he created the Surface lamp for Louis Vuitton; portable and battery-powered, it was the first in the French brand's furniture collection. In 2020, he designed the Marsotto Edizioni showroom in the Brera district in Milan; the space is characterized by a marble facade that “bends” to make room for a bench for the community. In 2006, he was designated by Newsweek as one of "The 100 Most Respected Japanese" and in 2012, he was named "Designer of the Year" by Wallpaper and Elle Decor and, in 2015, by Maison & Objet. In 2019, he was chosen as Designer of the Year for AW Architektur & Wohnen magazine. He has received numerous awards and prizes, including the Good Design Award, German Design Award, Elle Deco International Design Award. Nendo's projects are exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the Musee des Arts Decoratifs and the Centre Pompidou in Paris.
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