Miyabi

“Were it not for shadows, there would be no beauty.” - Jun'ichirō Tanizaki, In Praise of Shadows

Miyabi refers to a traditional Japanese aesthetic ideal, an expression of acute sensitivity to beauty and embodiment of essential elegance. It is intrinsically linked to mono no aware, often translated as ‘the pathos of things’, a poignant awareness of impermanence and the transient nature of life. In this context the aesthetic experience is elevated to a spiritual practice.