If we look at the world from a Western perspective. We tend to be obsessed with perfection. Buildings always look symmetrical and plates are flawless. Ancient philosophers however thought quite differently. Slowly the concept of ”Wabi Sabi’ got introduced in the 14th century: the ‘perfect imperfection’. And that truly changed a lot.
Beauty is usually seen in the golden ratio spiral – the Fibonacci sequence from nature. In modern-day, this is incorporated in many company logos. Photographers also use it to create a perfect composition. A trait of the golden ratio is that it looks ‘just right’. Our language does not know a word similar to ‘perfect imperfection’. It is a way of thinking.
And that is precisely what Wabi Sabi is about. Why does everything have to be perfect? Eastern philosophers thought that beauty comes from imperfection. So, the concept of Wabi Sabi was born.
What is the meaning of Wabi Sabi?
Wabi Sabi’s beauty lies in the respect of what is old and fragile. Perhaps partly broken. As mentioned before, the Western world is obsessed with perfection. This perfect is shaped by something where mathematics and Universal laws meet – the golden spiral.
Japanese aesthetics are very different from the ones Western society is used to. Some objects are impermanent and imperfect. For instance, a beautiful crack on pottery.
Unique and stunning designs
Personally, I think the perfectly imperfect Wabi Sabi interior designs do look amazing. Sadly, in modern-day interior designs, imperfection is usually missing from the design. It looks almost flawless with an Eastern vibe.
Wabi Sabi interior design
Below is an example of Wabi Sabi’s interior design.
Wabi Sabi artwork
Below is an example of Wabi Sabi artwork.
