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Learning Japanese
Anna Howell introduces the calming Japanese concept of utsubo
March 3, 2022 11:22
Anna Howell introduces the calming Japanese concept of utsubo
March 3, 2022 11:22It’s been likened to a quiet storm. The type that doesn’t rage but whispers, making its way across the ocean in waves. Far too ancient to be considered trendy, Japanese influences are certainly current, at once a portal for beautiful aesthetics and a more serene way of living. How one culture came to embody such ideals is explored by Joy Hendry in her seminal essay, Wrapping Culture: “In Japan, there is a certain power attached to the condition of being enclosed. Ascetics who shut themselves away were said to gain spiritual power, a concept known as utsubo”. While utsubo initially applied to only a handful of Zen philosophers, it soon trickled into the wider culture, leading to a more thoughtful approach to the way we design interiors.
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Today, many Japanese homes are distinguished by a sense of lightness. Dining room furniture is characterised by open lines that encourage conversation while ethereal paper lanterns provide a halo of luminosity overhead. In these soft and soulful spaces, sharp edges are few and far between, replaced by rounded silhouettes that seem to have been worn down by the passing of water or time.
Such soothing overtures can be plainly felt in our own pantheon of design. In 2020, Moroso brought forth the Gogan sofa: a smooth behemoth that in name and nature recalled the protective pebbles placed along Japanese riverbanks. And just this year, Patricia Urquiola has brought forth new additions to the Sengu range — lounging and dining furniture that draws on the sacred materials found in Shinto temples.
