A Bonsai friend recently commented on a social media post showing an AI-generated image of a Bonsai tree that it was too perfect and that it does not display the characteristics of true Bonsai identified through the concept of Wabi-sabi. This is not the first time that I am writing about Wabi-sabi, but in this blog I would like to dig a little bit deeper into the concept and then apply it to Bonsai. I would specifically like to explore the concept of Perfection in Imperfection, one of the meanings of Wabi-sabi.

Let’s recap quickly on what Wabi-sabi means. According to Wikipedia (Wikipedia link), the term refers to a world-view focused on the acceptance of transience and imperfection. It is at times described as appreciating beauty that is imperfect, impermanent and incomplete in nature. Further on it is quoted stating that “from an engineering or design point of view, wabi may be interpreted as the imperfect quality of any object, due to inevitable limitations in design and construction/manufacture especially with respect to unpredictable or changing usage conditions; in this instance, sabi could be interpreted as the aspect of imperfect reliability, or the limited mortality of any object, hence the phonological and etymological connection with the Japanese word sabi“.

This takes us to Bonsai as a living art form, one that is never finished, one that is constantly changing due to nature and the hand of humans impacting on its growth, design and health. It is not just the tree itself, but it can also incorporate the elements making up a traditional display, the pot, the soil cover, the stand, the accompanying plantings and then also the scroll or art work in the background. The paragraph above mentions the limitations in design as one example of impact. When it comes to Bonsai there are many others.

Not everything can be controlled when it comes to Bonsai cultivation. When a tree is harvested from nature, there will no doubt be imperfections caused by insect or mechanical damage, the direction of growth and the effect of wind, snow, animals, substrate and sun. This needs to be incorporated into the design and these features, if managed correctly, will become part of the tree’s aesthetic, its character and be part of the tree’s story. These imperfections add to its history, its aura and a kind of spiritual presence that cannot come from a “perfect” tree.

Another natural example illustrating this concept, is the changing nature of the art work. The colour changes due to seasonal changes, the appearance of flowers and fruit, and then these disappearing again. It is seen in deciduous trees through being cloaked in leaves during the warmer months and then being bare during the colder months. Development of bark (craggy, flaky), fissures, Jin, Shari and Uro are all examples of natural imperfections that adds to the aesthetic of the tree, showing the beauty through these imperfections, making it perfect.

The paragraph above mentioned things that can occur naturally and some of those and others can be done by human hand. The artist can purposefully create some imperfections in line with the characteristic of the tree to add beauty through these imperfections. Here we are thinking about jin, shari and uro, but then there is also the way in which the tree is displayed. Is the position in the pot off-set or in the middle, the style of the tree plays a leading part in this. Yes, we try to match the style of the tree with the pot, size, shape and colour, but is is very rare to get all of these elements to align perfectly. On top of that you will always have different opinions on shapes, size, colour of pots as well as the general flow of the tree in relation to the pot. We try to provide one picture, one whole, but on closer inspection, the “flaws” will be there. Are they flaws, no, they are imperfections, all adding up to the complete picture being perfect. And then the tree grows ……!