Wabi Sabi – The art of being Perfectly Imperfect is taking the world by storm

The Japanese have a passion for the modern world charm which exists in complete harmony with the aesthetic tendencies favouring refinement and antiquity.

The age-old cherished concept of Wabi Sabi is an expression of appreciation and beauty. There is no precise definition to express the concept and depth. No one has ever been able to answer the question as to what exactly Wabi Sabi is and the beauty of this art form. Wabi Sabi can be defined as beauty at the edge of nothingness and hence the Japanese consider possession of less as a luxury.

In Wabi Sabi form of art, essence takes precedence over form and hence it follows the concept of changing forms with the same essence. Completeness is incompatible with the eternal movement of life; hence it denies the concept of symmetry. A European will place a crystal in the centre of a space whereas a Japanese will place it towards the side due to their appreciation for asymmetry and disequilibrium which represents the real world.

Over the past couple of years, this traditional art form of Japan has taken the world by storm. People have learned to accept the beauty that lies in accepting the flaws, the impermanence of life, appreciating the beauty of nature and embracing authenticity at its core. This has further led to the use of this concept in interior designing by using a few simple principles which form the core of this concept

MORE IS LESS

Wabi Sabi, interiors focus on the concept of letting the functionality be the focal point with minimum or no disturbance, where every article that is put in that space has a purpose for being there. Decorative bowls and jars along with houseplants always add a hint of nature to space.

EMBRACE IMPERFECTIONS

Wabi Sabi revolves around the concept of deliberately finding beauty in the existing imperfection instead of trying to perfect them. Let the mismatched cushions stay on the couch and call it “artfully mussed”, feel free to glue together your favourite broken vase and place it back in the centre table.

CLOSE TO NATURE

Wabi Sabi relies upon the concept of being close to the earth hence a key way to enhance your space is to use natural materials and highlight their authenticity.

You don’t have to burn a hole in your pocket to include this art in your homes, all you need is to follow the above-mentioned points along with your creativity and day to day items lying around your house and “voila” you’ll have a Wabi Sabi infused space.

The above article is written by Syeda Shafeeqa Aiman – Student of B.Sc. in Interior Designing at JD Institute of Fashion Technology.