wabi
/ˈwabi
/noun [mass noun]
(In Japanese art) a quality of austere and serene beauty expressing a mood of spiritual solitude recognized in Zen Buddhist philosophy: a certain wabi: a worn and regal richness...
- David Valls told audiences that baroque minimalism was the effect of his collection, but that the Japanese philosophy of wabi sabi lay as the basic inspiration.
- The Japanese word wabi means a beautiful work of art with a distinctive flaw that expresses the humanity of its creator.
- The collapse of the ego became a concrete goal and the Japanese theory of wabi - where a tiny hairline fracture can elevate one teacup among a hundred other perfect ones to a state of aesthetic glory - a code to live by.
Origin
Japanese, literally 'solitude'.