Ideas have one meaning or another depending on the cultural context in which we find ourselves. When we talk about beauty, the views of western and eastern culture are different . Wabi sabi
Among the Japanese, the world of beauty does not fit in with the conventional schemes of other latitudes and the wabi-sabi concept is an example of this.
Much more than a simple aesthetic approach
It is very likely that when we observe something beautiful we have a double emotion . On the one hand, it looks perfect, but at the same time we know that its perfection is ephemeral and out of date. This double emotion associated with the momentary dimension of beauty connects with the essence of the wabi-sabi concept.
The idea of wabi-sabi expresses a paradox, as things can be beautiful despite their imperfection.
Consequently, the imperfect also produces an aesthetic pleasure. Instead of feeling any discomfort at the transience of beauty, we can enjoy it as a unique and exclusive moment. To reach this state of mind, it is necessary to previously accept the life cycle of everything that exists as something inevitable. The exaltation of luxury and perfect forms is the antithesis of wabi-sabi. Wabi sabi
We are facing an idea that cannot be evaluated with conventional Western schemes.
Wabi-sabi is related to the emotion that unfinished or imperfect things arouse and to what cannot be expressed in words, as it is something sublime. Those who have come close to understanding this concept emphasize its anti-rational dimension.
In Japanese culture, there are several cultural manifestations linked to this concept, such as the tea ceremony, the art of calligraphy or the manufacture of swords. It should be noted that in Japanese Taoism, things and sensory perceptions have their own spirituality.
The first impression from a western point of view
The wabi-sabi aesthetic is very present in furniture design and decoration in general. For those unfamiliar with Japanese culture, this aesthetic resembles the rustic style and the simple things have a traditional feel . Wabi sabi
To understand the deep meaning of this term, we must incorporate other values and ideas: the supremacy of the relative over the absolute, the exaltation of ambiguity over certainty and immateriality as an ideal of perfection.
In short , we are facing a concept with an aura that cannot be explained or understood from the logic of reason. In this sense, Japanese spirituality asserts that words cannot express a deep understanding of reality .
