New Journey from Wabi and Sabi to Mirai Sabi

"Tradition tends to be considered a special thing for particular families and occupations even though all Japanese have tradition in their hearts and minds."

Hagi ware has been appreciated by tea masters for a long time. Hanako Miwa was born as a member of a family of potters that goes back many generations. Her father, Ryukisho Miwa, created radically innovative ceramic art, based on themes of life, death and eroticism. In contrast, Hanako Miwa creates natural forms expressing the nature of the universe and its mystery and beauty.

Miwa has recently advocated the theme of mirai (future) sabi. Sabi is an esthetic of quiet simplicity, and mirai sabi is an expression of beauty that occurs in all types of life and materials as they return to nature. She is embarking on a journey to rediscover wabi and sabi, the fundamental esthetic concepts of Hagi ware and develop a unique apanese aesthetic for the twenty first century.

From Gekkan Bijyutsu (Art Monthly), No.431, August 2011