Eric Nation was born in Chula Vista California in 1963.  Growing up, he was surrounded by the artwork of his grandfather, Howard Little, an early California landscape painter, as well as the work of his father, a talented builder and mechanic.  He studied architecture at the New School of Architecture in San Diego, before finishing his undergraduate degree in Environmental Design at San Diego State University.  In 1989 Eric returned to SDSU to study Furniture under Wendy Maruyama, receiving his Masters Degree in 1992.  After graduating from SDSU he accepted a teaching position at Mesa College in San Diego, where he taught furniture for several years.  In 1995 Eric moved to San Francisco and taught furniture at California College of Art alongside Thomas Hucker.  Since 1989 he has maintained both an architectural design and studio furniture practice. 

 

Eric’s work can be found in collections across the United States, Canada and New Zealand.  He is the recipient of numerous awards including a Western States Fellowship, awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts in 1995.  Eric has participated in both the Emma International Collaboration, and Collaboration New Zealand art events.

 

In 2020 Eric created Workshop+Gallery, a multidisciplinary studio and art gallery in Searsport, Maine. The inaugural exhibition showcases his work alongside the paintings of Howard Little.  The space is anticipated to become a hub for local designers and crafts people to collaborate and present new ideas.  Eric and his wife Tina, have travelled extensively, circling the globe twice, visiting over 30 countries, and have lived in New Zealand for a number of years.  They currently live on an 8 acre farm in Maine and have recently launched Rosella Peak, a boutique vineyard.

 

 

 

 

 

DESIGN/BUILD PROJECTS

 

2021 Knox Cabin, Knox, ME

2020 Workshop/Gallery, Searsport, ME

2016 Nation/Trap Residence, Morrill, ME

2011 Seward Cottage renovation, Lopez Island, WA

2007 Evans Residence, Whangarei, New Zealand

2006 Conley Residence, San Diego, CA

2005 Ullman Residence, La Mesa, CA

2002 Ontrack Recording Studio, Omaha, NE

2002 Atomic Dog Cafe Omaha, NE

2002 Kinghorn Gardens Office complex, Omaha, NE

2000 Nation Residence, Omaha, NE

1998 Tommy O’s Salon/Spa, Omaha, NE

1989 Peretta Residence, Jamul, CA

 

 

EXHIBITIONS

 

2020 

Workshop/Gallery Inaugural Exhibition, Workshop/Gallery, ME

2015

Eric Nation, On the Wall/Off the Wall, Richard M. Ross Museum, Delaware, OH

2013

Eric Nation, Studio Furniture/Sculpture, Threshold Gallery, Seattle, WA

Retrospect, Pop-up Exhibition, Seattle, WA

2012

Decoy, Affinity Gallery, Saskatoon, Canada

2009

Global Whangarei, Whangarei, New Zealand

2008

Group Exhibition, Monmo Gallery, Orewa, New Zealand

2007

Bemis Charity Auction. Bemis Center for Contemporary Art, Omaha, NE

2005 

Continuum, recent work by Eric Nation, Borrellispace, San Diego, CA

Student and Alumni exhibition, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA

2002

Nebraska Aids Project Benefit Auction, Jackson Artworks, Omaha, NE

2000

Chairity, Bemis Center for Contemporary Art, Omaha, NE

1997

Group Show, Meredith Gallery, Baltimore, MD

1996

Contemporary Furniture, Works Gallery, Sonoma, CA

Open Studios, Berkeley, CA

1995

Sound Furniture, Gallery of Functional Art, Santa Monica, CA

Chair as Art, Gallery of Functional Art, Santa Monica, CA

Please be Seated, Henry Morrison Flagler Museum, Palm Beach, FL

1994

Pull-up a Chair II, Meredith Gallery, Baltimore, MD

Art Furniture Invitational, Meredith Gallery, Baltimore, MD

Accent on Design, Gallery Alexander, La Jolla, CA

1993 

The Graduates, Meredith Gallery, Baltimore, MD

Objects for Use, Anuska Gallery, San Diego, CA 

Chair as Art, Gallery of Functional Art, Santa Monica, CA

Next Wave, New Studio Furniture makers, Clark Gallery, Lincoln, MA

New Furniture Eric Nation & Tina Chin, Prototype Gallery, La Jolla, CA

Magnetism, Gallery of Functional Art, Santa Monica, CA

1992  

Building/Interior/Contents, Prototype Gallery, La Jolla, CA

Wood, Steel, Glass, and Clay! Faith Nightengale Gallery, San Diego, CA

Woodworking '92, Brea Civic Gallery, Brea, CA

Dovetails and Nails, Gallery Eight, La Jolla, CA

Furniture of the 90's, MPLA Gallery, Solana Beach, CA