Nendo is a Japanese design studio founded in 2002 by architect and designer Oki Sato. Born in Toronto in 1977 and educated at Waseda University in Tokyo, Sato established the studio the same year he completed his Master’s degree in architecture. The name “Nendo,” which means modeling clay in Japanese, reflects the studio’s philosophy of shaping ideas freely across disciplines, allowing design concepts to evolve fluidly from experimentation to production.
With offices in Tokyo and Milan, Nendo works across a wide range of creative fields including product design, furniture, interiors, architecture, and installations. The studio is internationally recognized for its minimalist yet imaginative approach, often introducing subtle twists or visual metaphors that transform ordinary objects into moments of surprise and delight. Nendo has collaborated with leading global brands such as Cappellini, Moroso, Flos, DePadova, and Louis Poulsen, and its designs are included in major museum collections including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Centre Pompidou in Paris.
