The Japanese concept of wabi-sabi has been memeified in recent times. Late last year, audio from an old King of the Hill scene explaining wabi-sabi as the idea that imperfection has its own beauty found a viral new life over the top of TikTok videos about acne and crooked teeth. Makers use the phrase to sell all manner of ever-so-slightly-wonky handcrafts. Cake turned out a bit lop-sided? Fear not: it’s got wabi-sabi.
But there’s a fine line between charmingly imperfect and shoddy. If we want to use concepts like wabi-sabi, we’ll need to know how to recognise that line.
