Rago Auctions

Gino Russo immigrated from Luzzi, Italy, and settled in Bucks County, Pennsylvania where he apprenticed under George Nakashima at his New Hope studio. In Italy, Russo’s family owned and operated a woodcraft shop, which instilled in him both the skills and passion for his future career. Russo worked for Nakashima for 14 years before leaving to partner with a company called Impressions in Wood Ltd. in New York, where clients could both buy finished pieces of his work as well as commission custom projects.

Russo’s style was, of course, influenced by his time spent at Nakashima Studio, but he imparted his own unique flair with what he described as an “impressionistic or free flow” approach, incorporating more organic shapes and embellishments. He used a variety of imported woods such as English burr oak, Persian walnut, and rosewood, in addition to homegrown American black walnut. Russo oversaw the cutting of logs and then stored them outside for months to properly weather them before bringing them back to the mill for heat curing. Similar to his mentor, Russo used natural features and imperfections in the wood to enhance his designs. His works were all original, with any duplicates being made only upon special request, and embody the enduring, timeless spirit of New Hope Modern style.