A grass-thatched hut alone on the shore in autumn dusk /
Young grasses beneath the snow

A spray of plum blossoms /
The beauty of fallen petals floating upon the water

A solitary bonsai pine in an island of white sand /
The delicate blending of colors in a twelve-layered Heian Japanese robe

A heron upon a withered bough in winter /
Deep blue hydrangeas on a misty morning in June

The austere and refined essence of a Japanese teahouse /
Sacred imperfection- the cherished tea bowl

Pealing of bells as dusk turns to evening /
The call of morning birdsong

The bittersweet of life /
Fleeting moments of beauty

All of these speak to wabi-sabi- a profound aesthetic concept deeply rooted in traditional Japanese culture since medieval times. It came to embrace all of the tastes that informed the arts during this period, particularly the Japanese tea ceremony- chanoyu- a ceremony imbued with the principles of harmony, respect, purity and tranquility.

My work has evolved from the world of wabi-sabi. The jeweled layers of these paintings- intimate gestures, delicate line, silent white spaces, pure colors and traditional washi paper- reflect the meditative quality of Japanese poetry and art. The figures, though silent and solitary, embody through their poses the freshness and evanescence of wabi. The moods and emotions- nostalgia, melancholy, joy, bliss, serenity- accrete into a rustic and irregular patina of sabi.

Through a modern western voice, these works pay homage to the eastern elements of wabi-sabi- serenity, simplicity and solitude. Patricia Forsberg