Fred Wolgers

The aesthetics and philosophy known as Wabi Sabi emerged in 16th-century Japan as an amalgam of religion, politics and aesthetics. A backlash against a strict and extravagant beauty ideal that could no longer be maintained under harsh prevailing conditions. The clean, flashy and precise were rejected. They were seen as obstacles, diversions and illusions that stood in the way of reconciling with the conditions of nature. Can the principles of Wabi Sabi be fused with modern, everyday objects and products? Can Wabi Sabi’s relationship with the transitory be a guiding light in today’s consumer society? In this degree project, I explore everyday objects through the austere, beautiful and obscure world of Wabi Sabi.