suki: subtle elegance. the attraction of the unusual or idiosyncratic. the primitive mask, a mysterious object, an obscure agricultural tool. suki is the fascination exerted by the unknown and unfamiliar.

wabi: tranquil simplicity. the intrinsic quality of colours and materials, forms and textures. plain clay pots, woven baskets, shell pendant. wabi is the spirit of poverty. appreciation of the commonplace. the fine line which precariously separates beauty from shabbiness.

sabi: patina of age. the enhancement of the ravages of time. the castle ruin, the armless statue. sabi is when age, wear and tear bring something to the very threshold of demise.

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wabi-sabi can be called a "comprehensive" aesthetic system. its world view, or universe, is self referential. it provides an integrated approach to the ultimate nature of existence (metaphysics), sacred knowledge (spirituality), emotional well-being (state of mind), behaviour (morality) and the look-and-feel of things (materiality). the more systematic and clearly defined the components of an aesthetic system are - the more ways it refers back to fundamentals - the more useful it is.

metaphysical basis
- things are either devolving toward, or evolving from, nothingness

spiritual values
- truth comes from the observance of nature
- "greatness" exists in the inconspicuous and overlooked details
- beauty can be coaxed out of ugliness

state of mind
- acceptance of the inevitable
- appreciation of the cosmic order

moral precepts
- get rid of all that is unnecessary
- focus on the intrinsic and ignore material hierarchy

material qualities
- the suggestion of natural process
- irregular
- intimate
- unpretentious
- earthy
- murky
- simple



certain common sounds also suggest the sad-beautiful feeling of wabi-sabi. the mournful calls and caws of seagulls and crows, the forlorn bellowing of a foghorn. the wail of an ambulance siren echoing through canyons of big city buildings.




from wabi-sabi for artists designers poets and philosophers by Leonard Koren