ATV1 Research point 1: wabi-sabi

Wabi-sabi is a Japanese term which means accepting imperfection, celebrating it almost. Making a feature of things that have broken or are worn out. Accepting that everything is transient and will fade or change, including our bodies and minds, and not raging against it as we often do in the west.

It’s a concept I’m already familiar with and apply. I darn my moth-destroyed knitted shawls with brightly coloured thread and fix jeans with visible patches. I make quilts out of clothes children have grown out of and out of well worn shirts that belonged to a beloved granddad. I believe passionately in upcycling furniture and giving it a new leash of life too.

Using metal to fix cracks in pottery is a beautiful aspect of this, and called Kintsugi. I’m not myself a potter but have a friend who is and she’s just done a course on this exciting technique so now breakages are no longer wasted but a starting point for a new creation.