Peter J. Ketchum

                           ABOUT WABI-SABI    

    Wabi-sabi is an ancient Japanese aesthetic that values the imperfect, the handmade, the damaged or flawed, and the simple. I have stamped each work in the series with wabi-sabi written in Japanese characters.

   Wabi-sabi finds beauty in things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete. It finds beauty in things modest and humble. Wabi-sabi celebrates the flawed beauty that comes with age and the rough wear and tear of life.

   Wabi-sabi embraces the natural cycle of growth and decay. The life of an object and its impermanence are evidenced in patina and wear, including rips, any visible repairs (scotch tape or glue) or additions: pen, ink, stains, pencil marks.

   Richard Powell, a wabi-sabi scholar, wrote, "Wabi-sabi nurtures all that is authentic by acknowledging three simple realities: nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect."

Peter J. Ketchum   www.peterjketchum.com