We were discussing possible design elements with a client and their wishes seemed to match what we knew as wabi-sabi. So we thought we’d share what we know along with some new findings we’ve uncovered after more research.
Wabi-Sabi in Popular Culture
A google search of “wabi-sabi” turns up a host of home design blogs which claim it as “the great new life style I am into” and then hand out advice like this: ‘Use real art to decorate,’ ‘Add built-in cabinets to keep electronics out of view,’ and even ‘if there are dishes in the sink at the end of the day, just turn out the lights and light some candles.’ The next post is usually a list of gluten-free snacks. I have intentionally not linked these (real) suggestions to their originating websites.
The generally popular version of the philosophy – based on posts like the above, and magazine spreads with more depth but odd scope – goes like this:
Wabi-sabi focuses on the beauty in nature, on imperfection, and impermanence, and prioritizes natural, weathered elements arranged in minimalist asymmetrical ways.
When in doubt, go to the library. After enjoying a little more dedicated research the above seems not so much incorrect as incomplete. One of the best references I’ve discovered is Leonard Koren’s slim 1994 volume, Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets and Philosophers, which is a must-read for anyone interested in the subject.
Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers
Koren cites his introduction to wabi-sabi in The Book of Tea, written in 1904 by Kakozu Okakura which you can find online courtesy of the Gutenberg Project, as an introduction to Japanese Culture, which delves much deeper than the same-three-sentences version found in the pages of every design magazine and blog. Okakura describes Teasim – “a cult founded on the adoration of the beautiful among the sordid facts of every day existence” and notes that the ritual of the Tea Ceremony which ultimately, is only “Taoism in disguise.”
Koren,describes his early exploration of Japanese culture during the idealistic 1960s (p9); Wabi-sabi, “appeared the perfect antidote” to the pervasively slick, saccharine, corporate style of beauty I felt was desensitizing American society.”
Wabi-Sabi is difficult to nail down. Concepts so rooted in Zen and Taoism are more likely to be described in a koan than defined in a dictionary.
Koren makes an attempt at “a provisional definition,” by describing Wabi-Sabi as the salient feature of Japanese beauty in the same way that Greek ideals of beauty (symmetry, proportion, order) have formed the basis for Western aesthetics. He compares it to 20th Century Modernism as reactionary – modernism against the ornateness of neoclassicism which preceded it, wabi-sabi against “the Chinese perfection and gorgeousness of the 16th century.” However while Modernism is “seamless, polished and smooth,” focused on the future and imposes a strict control on nature and natural forms, Wabi-Sabi is “earthy, imperfect and variegated,” seated in the present moment and romanticizing the “uncontrollability of nature”.
What does Wabi-Sabi mean to moss?
Since Modernism is very much a part of our design philosophy, Koren’s dichotomy might make it seem like Wabi-Sabi is on the the flip side of the coin from our point of view. Actually though, as much as we love Googie style and Mid Century Mod, there seem to be a lot of overlaps between our design philosophy.
Koren explains how the concept is rooted in spirtual values. “Truth comes from the observation of nature, ‘greatness’ exists in the inconspicuous and overlooked details, and beauty can be coaxed out of ugliness.” He describes the material qualities of wabi-sabi as:
- The suggestion of the natural process
- Irregular
- Intimate
- Unpretentious
- Earthy
- Murky
- Simple
These strike us as very in line with our own love of minimalist layouts, reclaimed materials and asymmetrical forms. We work to incorporate elements of reclaimed wood, reused industrial elements and a connection to nature into every project we take on.
The organic irregularity of grain lines, the passing movement of light through our spaces, and the knowledge that every building and object will eventually be re-purposed are all at the forefront of our thoughts when we create.
We find beauty in the weathered imperfect details of the buildings, new and old, all around us. Let us know in the comments if you feel the same way.
