The Japanese Concept of Shibui/Shibusa

渋い

... this aesthetic includes an openness to nature, an appreciation of the irregularities of form, a naturalness of daily life, and is seen in a great variety of forms, from the architecture of the Katsura Palace near Kyoto to an ikebana flower arrangement on a downtown Tokyo street corner.

Shibusa may be described as having seven qualities:

simplicity, implicitness, modesty, silence, naturalness, roughness, and normalcy...

The Shibusa, in having no mechanical regularity or quantitative precision, invites participation by the observer because it suggests rather than commands; it opens up new possibilities because it is inherently unfinished. The principle of the unfinished can be contrasted with an opposite principle in traditional pedagogy in which anything left unfinished is seen as a weakness or a deficiency.

The shibui sense of the unfinished is seen as a call to participate, an invitation to become; not a cause for reprimand.

Shibui beauty is not a beauty displayed by the creator for the viewer to appreciate. Creation here means making a piece that will lead the viewer to draw beauty out of the piece for her/himself, and makes an artist of the viewer.

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Shibui

 

The Japanese aesthetic of shibui draws upon silent, subtle and unobtrusive qualities. A person, performance or an object can be considered shibui. Each are authentic and appealing without the need for decoration – this is the shibui ideal. Something shibui, although seemingly simplistic, reveals the complex and intricate variables in nature that make our world unique. Its intent is to evoke awareness and appreciation for life as it is, seeing the implicit beauty in what has come to be considered ordinary or mundane. The word mundane in its latin form mundus actually means ‘the world’. Would we say the world is ordinary? The very existence of our world and everything in it is extra-ordinary, including ourselves. The shibui aesthetic opens our eyes to the beauty of real life, the everyday miracles of nature. Art termed shibui is designed with a purpose – to merge nature with day to day living. Every form and detail is designed to contribute towards a whole experience. For example; the wave in the grain of a structural post, the uneven texture of a tea bowl, the solitary blossom in a flower arrangement. Natural elements help to connect and re-align us with nature on a subconscious level. Yanagi Soetsu, philosopher and founder of the Japanese folk craft movement (mingei) refers to shibui as a refined taste, an understanding we arrive at over time. In his book The Unknown Craftsman Yanagi challenges conventional ideas of art and beauty, exploring the Japanese appreciation for “objects born, not made.” “The world abounds with different aspects of beauty. The lovely, the powerful, the gay, the smart—all belong to the beautiful. Each person, according to his disposition and environment, will feel a special affinity to one or another aspect. But when his taste grows more refined, he will necessarily arrive at a beauty which is shibui. Many a term serves to denote the secret of beauty, but this is the final word.” – Yanagi Soetsu (1889 -1961)   .....   Anyone, anywhere can ‘think’ shibui. It is an approach to life, an attitude that notices and values the beauty in everyday. The simple truth is – as part of nature – our lives are enhanced when we connect with it. Here are some suggestions on how to re-connect:   recognise and disregard unnecessary distractions   remove excess (clutter) from your surroundings   step outside, walk more often – let this be your preferred form of transport   notice seasonal changes, details in nature that signal change and encourage growth – the will of a roadside wildflower early spring   invite nature inside, this could be as simple as placing a single branch or leaf in places you spend time   make subtle adjustments to interior spaces to echo the season – change the colours and textures of accessories – a simple effective way to refresh and inspire   where possible, use handcrafted items (flower vase, knitted blankets, wooden bowls)   take quiet time alone, everyday – no matter how brief   create something with nature, for the pure enjoyment of the process – the outcome will be imperfectly beautiful     Donna Canning Ikebana Artist

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