At Naked Geometry, we think a lot about nature. For starters, we’re deeply inspired by natural beauty. We’re also intrigued by the elegance of natural processes, like the interaction of trees and mycelium in what’s been called the “wood wide web”.  This system has been one of our favorites to study and emulate, for example by choosing a reliable network of relationships over a stricter form of structure.

Our lead designer, James Gyre, got all this started, combining a background in woodworking and a growing obsession with geometry with a skill at sharing the work on what is now our very large online social media pages.  As he dove deeper into what was possible with laser-cutters, CNC routers and traditional woodworking techniques at a local maker space, he continued to research and study geometry at a deeper level, within the very welcoming (and academically rigorous) math art community.  The work grew in popularity, and even got James a chance to meet President Obama! 

Laura Gyre came on board a few years later, generally helping out with the business as it started to evolve in new directions. Her experience as an illustrator allowed her to contribute to new work featuring plant and animal themes.  Over the years, James & Laura found themselves ever more enchanted with nature itself, as a creative force both beautiful and clever. 

Sarah Nielsen joined forces with them in 2018. Her journey started with the simple desire to help build something – in this case, the infrastructure for a new shared studio space – and learn something in return. Today, as production manager, she focuses on crafting our forms in beautiful woods to share our work with you.

We all appreciate the abundance, sustainability and unique elegance of tree products, and make a practice of learning the different species and special considerations for working with each tree. As craftspeople, we have a deep respect for the wisdom of traditional technique, as well as the potentials of contemporary tools that allow us to relate to our materials and subject matter in new and exciting ways. All tools are beautiful! 

As much as we learn from our own process, we also value the opportunity to teach and learn from the perspectives of others. From specialized craft skills to novel geometric models to sustainability and transparent business tools, we’re often happy to share what works best for us in the interest of cooperative culture, a healthy ecosystem of ideas, and a vision of design that’s committed to solving human problems on a deeper and deeper level. 

We work in a cooperative space with other makers and businesses, where overlapping skill sets bring innovative and emergent solutions to design and building problems. In general , we believe in an iterative process of growth and change, valuing the possibility to make things a little better every day.

Thank you for making it this far! If you believe in these things, in what we make, and in how we share about it, consider supporting our new Patreon.