Wabi-sabi
Wabi-sabi - apart from being a wonderful word to say out loud - is a central concept in the Japanese aesthetic. It is described in one of the books I’ve consulted as “…a beauty of things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete.” (Leonard Koren, Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets and Philosophers, 1994)
There’s a great deal to say about wabi-sabi from a disability perspective, particularly about the strong conceptual links between Wabi-sabi and adaptation – the manner in which all humans function in environments; something that is in everyone’s best interest. But for now – and as hot summer day teaser - I will simply leave you with a quote from the wonderful book by Leonard Koren:
“Admittedly, the beauty of Wabi-sabi is not to everyone’s liking. But I believe it is in everyone’s best interest to prevent wabi-sabi from disappearing altogether. Diversity of the cultural ecology is a desirable state of affairs, especially in opposition to the accelerating trend toward the uniform …” [P. 8]
