Wabi sabi is a term to refer to ancient Japanese aesthetic to emphasize the value of simple things as a way of bringing harmony. A prime example is a Japanese teahouse: when you first go in, you see a tatami (bamboo) floor with a corner devoted to a vase with a single flower or two. Often, there is a scroll of something simple, like a picture of nature or a Chinese character written in an expert way by a calligrapher behind the flower arrangement. The rest of the teahouse is sparse, without much decoration. When the tea master meets his subject in that room, the conjoining interaction is the beauty that culminates into wabi sabi--the immediacy of the two people is palpable; the aroma of the tea with each drop of water; the faint traces of the burning alcove is the essence of wabi sabi, one of the most interesting concept in eastern design and philosophy.
.
