In-between. This is a word that comes up often in conversation with designer Nao Tamura, whose quietly intuitive work typically hovers between tension and balance, space and time, motion and stillness. It also places her among our pick of leading female creatives defining Milan Design Week 2026.
Tamura – who also slips easily in-between the cultures of her native Japan and her adopted home, New York – has long been in the spotlight for her contemporary objects, furniture and spaces that often blend clean-lined purity and a quiet, modern poetry with a sense of lightness.
Milan has also played a key role in her design journey. It was in 2010 that Tamura won the inaugural SaloneSatellite Award at Salone del Mobile – an influential accolade that has since recognised a string of high-profile creatives. Fast-forward 16 years, and Tamura is again back at Salone this year, with scattered flocks of her bird-inspired portable ‘Tiki’ lamps in new shades (from sunshine yellow to pebble grey) alongside oval-topped ‘Fez’ tables at Established & Sons at the fair; she has also launched her clean-lined new ‘Ryo’ bookcase for Porro.
With Design Week in full swing, Tamura pauses from the Milan circuit to talk to Wallpaper* about her designs, the beauty of balance, making childhood Christmas presents, and all things in-between – herself included.
One of Nao Tamura's portable ‘Tiki’ lamps for Established & Sons. ‘By making it cordless, it became freer, able to move with you, just like the bird itself,’ says the designer
Wallpaper*: Which three words best sum up the essence of your designs?
Nao Tamura: Balance, interconnection and in-between. I’m always interested in how elements relate to each other, how tension and balance are created and how something can exist between two states rather than being fixed in one (like myself). That sense of ‘in-between’ is something I return to often in my work.
W*: How has your creative perspective been influenced by your time overseas?
NT: Living abroad for many years has given me a certain distance from my own cultural background. That distance allows me to see things more objectively, and in a way, it made me more aware of Japan than when I was actually living there. When I was in Japan, I was always looking outward. I don’t think I was fully aware of being Japanese, of my roots, or what is unique and valuable about Japanese culture. I think my perspective is shaped somewhere in-between. Not fully inside, not completely outside, but constantly moving between the two.
W*: How often do you return to Japan – and what Japanese influences shape your vision?
NT: It really varies depending on whether I have projects in Japan. Rather than specific forms or motifs, I think what influences me more is a way of thinking – how to find beauty in simplicity, how to respect material and how to create meaning through subtle relationships. Or maybe a relationship between us humans and nature. There are many things. These are not always visible, but they are always present in my work.
W*: Can you share a favourite Japanese word, idea or concept?
NT: Words I often think about are ma (間) or yohaku (余白). The meaning can be understood as space, pause or the interval between things. It is not emptiness, but something that allows elements to exist in relation to each other. In my work, I am often thinking about how to create this kind of space, where form, light and people can interact more freely – kind of like the ‘Ryo’ shelf I am launching this week with Porro.
W*: What does Salone mean to you, as a former 2010 SaloneSatellite winner – and how has Salone impacted your creative journey?
NT: SaloneSatellite was where my career really began. At that time, I didn’t overthink it, I simply applied and showed my work. I guess winning gave me visibility, but more importantly, it gave me a small confidence to continue. Looking back now, what I remember most is not the award itself but the moment of putting my work into the world, without fully knowing what would happen. That feeling still stays with me.
‘Fez’ side tables for Established & Sons, which ‘inspired by the delicate balance of a bird resting on the tip of a branch’
W*: Can you tell me a little about the latest versions of ‘Fez’ and ‘Tiki’ with Established & Sons?
NT: ‘Tiki’ was originally designed about ten years ago. It was inspired by a small, quiet moment, a bird perching briefly nearby. A bird never stays in one place. It lands, pauses and then moves on. But when it happens close to you, it brings a subtle warmth, a quiet kind of joy. ‘Tiki’ has now returned as a portable lamp. By making it cordless, it became freer, able to move with you, just like the bird itself. Gently turning the bird’s body adjusts the brightness, adding a small, intuitive interaction.
‘Fez’ was originally conceived as a perch for the ‘Tiki’ lamp. It is a side table with an off-centre top on a cone-shaped base, inspired by the delicate balance of a bird resting on the tip of a branch.
Both pieces share a similar geometry, creating a quiet connection between them. With these works, I hope to bring a small moment of awareness into everyday life, something subtle, but meaningful.
The ‘Ryo’ shelving unit at the Porro Milano showroom
W*: Can you also share some insight into your new ‘Ryo’ creation at Porro?
NT: ‘Ryo’ is based on the idea of two planes meeting to form a structure. It is made from a folded sheet of metal, not as decoration, but as a natural result of how force is distributed. The triangular form exists between stability and lightness – and when repeated, it creates a quiet rhythm in space. It plays with light and shadow – and introduces a sense of ma, the space or interval between elements.
‘Cascade’ table for WonderGlass
W*: What is typically the starting point for your design process?
NT: I grew up in a family of designers – my parents, grandmother, aunt and uncle were all involved in design in different ways. When I was a child, Christmas was a very special event in our home. It’s not very common in Japan, but my grandmother was born in San Francisco, so we celebrated it in a big way. My mother had one rule: instead of buying gifts, we had to make them ourselves.
Through that experience, I learned to think about what would truly make someone happy, not in terms of money, but through creativity. How can I bring a smile to someone’s face?
W*: How has that impacted you today?
NT: Looking back, I feel that what I do today as a designer is essentially the same. So it’s not simply about making someone happy in a direct way, but for every project, the initial conversation with the client is very important. Understanding their background, what they are good at, what makes them different, and what they are passionate about – these elements gradually form a kind of map for the design.
The ‘Fez’ tables or ‘perches’ come in a variety of colourways
W*: What currently inspires you?
NT: Right now, I am very inspired by the idea of time. In a world where everything moves incredibly fast, there is still another kind of time that flows at a much slower, more constant pace, the same as it has always been. This is something I explored in my ‘Moment’ series with WonderGlass. I’m interested in how to bring that sense of time into making, especially through processes that are closer to craft, where you can feel the presence of time in the material itself.
W*: Finally, what are your hopes for the future?
NT: Right now, I’m working on retail projects in Paris for a Japanese fashion brand. It’s a different scale from what I’ve done before and I find it very exciting. Until now, much of my work has been shaped through collaboration with clients. That process has been very meaningful. But looking ahead, I feel that the next ten years might be a time to explore my own voice more directly. Perhaps the work may become closer to art, but I would like to step into that unknown territory and see where it leads.
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