Collection Spotlight: The Wabi-Sabi Collection

Awall (30" x 30") by Maya Malioutina, mixed media

For a while, Scandinavian minimalism dominated the design world. You could build yourself a Nordic idyll with white walls, a chunky knit blanket, and a single air purifying plant. These echo chambers left few signs of the world beyond the stark walls (except, perhaps, the stylized map of Stockholm or Copenhagen).

Counterbalancing the perfectionism of Scandinavian minimalism, a different set of design values has risen in popularity: wabi-sabi. Wabi-sabi is a Japanese world view that embraces imperfection and incompletion. As an aesthetic, wabi-sabi champions rust, erosion, breaks, and cracks as the peaceful acceptance of nature and time.  

Our latest collection, The Wabi Sabi Collection brings together a convention-defying beauty through asymmetrical shapes, rough textures and natural weathering. In this collection spotlight, we use artwork from the collection as a guideline to illuminate the history and philosophy of wabi-sabi.

TEA CEREMONIES

Medium Whiteware Vessel (8" x 7") by Eileen Braun, ceramic artwork

The Japanese tea ceremony is widely cited as the embodiment of wabi-sabi. In our collection, Eileen Braun's ceramic work represents the asymmetrical and earthen pottery items used in traditional tea ceremonies.  

MEANING OF "WABI"

Indigo 4897 (22" x 30") by Lynn Pollard, ink on paper

Wabi refers to rustic simplicity, serenity and the solitude of life in nature. The understated elegance of Lynn Pollard‘s work on paper captures the spiritual solitude of wabi.

MEANING OF "SABI"

Abstract White, Bronze, Yellow (18" x 24") by Jenn Williamson, acrylic painting

Sabi refers to beauty and serenity that comes with the passage of time. The rusted colors of Jenn Williamson's artwork captures the accepting nature of sabi. 

AESTHETIC VALUE: ASYMMETRY

New Beginnings (6" x 6") by Shannon Amidon encaustic artwork

AESTHETIC VALUE: ROUGHNESS

Just Beneath The Surface (24" x 36") by Patricia Oblack, acrylic painting

AESTHETIC VALUE: SIMPLICITY

Valley Pond (16" x 16") by Brian Sostrom, acrylic painting

AESTHETIC VALUE: INTIMACY

Child's Pose (Study) (14.5" x 25.5") by Geoffrey Stein, ink on paper

AESTHETIC VALUE: IMPERFECTION

Wild Bird Egg (20" x 24") by Jennifer Ross, mixed media artwork

See the full Wabi Sabi Collection on UGallery.