From Aesthetics to Design: Sustainability of Wabi-sabi in Ceramic Product Design in the Contemporary Context

Abstract

In recent years, wabi-sabi has become a popular trend in product design. While consumerism encourages the masses to pursue ‘perfection,’ ‘luxury,’ and ‘sophistication,’ a materialism that is detrimental to human well-being and the environment, the wabi-sabi aesthetic The acceptance of ‘imperfection,’ ‘incompleteness,’ and ‘impermanence’ in the concept of wabi-sabi helps to alleviate the pervasive social anxiety and establish a positive mental state. Notably, in the contemporary context, wabi-sabi is no longer confined to Japanese philosophy and aesthetics, but has become a global design trend. Wabi-sabi aesthetics is closely related to the concept of sustainable design, yet there is little theoretical knowledge about its sustainability in product design. Based on this premise, this paper discusses the transformation of wabi-sabi from aesthetics to design in a contemporary context and its sustainability in ceramic product design through background research and theoretical understanding of sustainable product design. Ultimately, this paper develops theoretically insightful knowledge of sustainable design for ceramic products to help potential ceramic designers and producers understand the wabi-sabi aesthetic from a sustainable design perspective.