The concept of 'Wabi Sabi'.
"Defining wabi sabi
in physical terms is like explaining the taste of a piece of
chocolate by its shape and color." ~ by Drs. Wong
and Hirano
"Learning to see The Invisible"
Source: Touching Stone Gallery
"Learning to see The Invisible"
Source: Touching Stone Gallery
What is wabi sabi? Ask a Japanese this question and there will likely be a long silence. Pose the same question to an American, however, the answer will often be quick and sure: "It’s beauty of things imperfect!" Why do the Japanese struggle for an answer to the meaning of wabi sabi that seems to come easily to Westerners? Could they be searching for a different answer altogether? - Touchstone Gallery
The term wabi sabi is derived from two characters shared by
Japanese and Chinese. Originally, wabi
侘 means ‘despondence’, and sabi 寂 means ‘loneliness' or
'solitude'. These are words for feelings, not for physical
appearance of objects. it is a
profound aesthetic consciousness that transcends appearance.
It can be felt but rarely verbalized, much less defined.
Many of my readers and collectors of my sumi-e art work, know that I experienced a massive stroke. I learned many things from this experience. One of the most important things I learned is this: I
have found that it is important to
love ourselves again, to be accepting and
tolerant, and be open to what our lives are now. To help me with this
concept, I
learned about wabi-sabi, the art of
imperfection. Wabi-sabi is the Japanese tradition of celebrating the
beauty in what's
flawed or worn. It offers an inspiring way to
look at your whole life. To discover wabi-sabi is to see the singular
beauty
in something that may first look decrepit and
ugly. Bringing wabi-sabi into your life requires a mind quiet enough to
appreciate
muted beauty, find courage not to fear, and a
willingness to accept things the way they are. Wabi-sabi depends on the
ability
to slow down, to shift the balance from doing
to being, to appreciating rather than perfecting. Wabi-sabi can be
adopted as
a way of seeing and being in the world.
Commemorative 'Wabi Sabi' Seal
This is my personal 'Wabi Sabi' seal/chop carved especially for me by Henry Li of Blue Heron Arts. Henry carved this mood seal at my request. It will be used on the special life occasion of the 30th Anniversary of my stroke, which will be on October 20, 2013. I will be painting a commemorative sumi-e on that day to honor my stroke and will seal the painting with this very special chop.
This Tianhuang soapstone is from Changhua, Zhejiang, China.
* It is cut into a beautiful rectangular shape with natural skin and edge on
one side. *Tian means
"paddy field" and Huang
means yellow. In restrictive sense, "Tianhuang" refers to a
kind of yellow-colored soapstone unearthed from rice paddy in Shoushan, which
is regarded as the most valuable of all seal stones in China. However, this Tianhuang soapstone of
mine is NOT from Shoushan, but from Changhua, Zhejiang province, which is known
as "Changhua Tianhuang" or "Changhua Yellow".
Below is a video of Henry carving my 'Wabi Sabi' seal. Enjoy!
Director of North America ICCPS
International Chinese Calligraphy and Ink Painting Society
国際中国書法国画家協会アメリカ支部：Ms. Casey Shannon アメリカ現代水墨画家
Casey is also a member of the Anshan Rare Stone Seal Society in Liaoning province, China.
Copyright © Casey Shannon Studio Art. All rights reserved
