Tuesday, July 21, 2015

The Japanese art of Imperfection: Wabi- Sabi

Do you know Wabi-sabi?

 It is quintessential Japanese aesthetic. A form where in you try to see the invisible..Perfection in the most imperfect things. It is the beauty in accepting the incomplete, impermanent or imperfect things.
To tune your mind in seeing and believing, that might not be the most perfect.The Japanese tradition of wabi-sabi offers an inspiring new way to look at your home and your life.


A wedding gathering...



There is a legend behind this. There was once a young man, who wanted to learn the various set of customs known as the way of tea. He went to a tea master.The tea master wanted to test this fellow and asked him to clean the garden. The learner cleaned up the fallen leaves, raked the ground till it looked perfect. Then, just to make sure, he shook a cherry tree which caused a few flowers to spill randomly on the ground.

Ha, so now do you get the connection? It was perfect wabi-sabi...An art of imperfection like those fallen flowers on the cleaned, perfect garden ...yet one that looks perfect with the imperfection on it.

The young man was Sen no Rikyu and to this day he is revered in Japan.With all the lavishness and luxury in home decor, when you try to blend it with rustic and earthy tones that is wabi-sabi.

 A crack ...some motifs..hand drawn


In the decor world, it can sum up as being that raw beauty, the crack in a pot, those flea market finds, that lonely abandoned hut in a faraway place among all the sleekness, mass produced mall shopping artifacts,the well done up luxury penthouse etc.

Do you get the picture? Sometimes the ultra modern, sleek and luxurious decor stands no chance against the rustic, weathered and ancient humble abode. But that is wabi sabi...
 I truly loved this term and bringing about a post on this too. It has a very deep meaning not only in the aesthetic world where we tend to measure everything but also in real life.

Terracotta and paints...couldn't stop myself from painting them...
You know now, exactly why handmade is beautiful,right? All things handcrafted may not meet all the quality standards but that's  what makes it precious!

Beauty truly lies in the eyes of the beholder!


*** The images are mine from a recent DIY activity and even the crack in the earthen uruli, did not stop me from painting it.Do you see beauty in it? It is my tribute to this Japanese art of practicing wabi-sabi.








8 comments:

meg said...

Hey that's a wonderful concept.... and a thought too... I could relate to and appreciate it instantly... we do experience it many times but now this word gave me more clarity in understanding that feeling!

Unknown said...

Its Really Nice Concept!!
Alacritys

Safal Arts : Create Decorate Celebrate said...

very nice concept! Thanks for sharing!

Apurva M Shinde said...

Hey Sangi wonderful post ! Very well writen and yes an unique concept . Will keep that in mind !!

Pinkz Passion said...

Interesting story with a lovely post Sangitha :)

arogya.com said...

Loved the word ! Sangita the imperfect things r glorified in a very nice way ! Wabi - Sabi !!

Sangitha Aanand said...

I am so glad all of you liked the post.Really this concept makes for a interesting read and is capable of turning even the most ordinary pieces of decor into extra ordinary timeless beauty.

Arconex said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...