Empty shop home to Wabi Sabi exhibition
An empty shop being used temporarily as an art studio and gallery is the perfect venue for an exhibition which explores a Japanese concept which celebrates the temporary and transient nature of objects.
The ancient Japanese philosophy of 'Wabi Sabi' is notoriously enigmatic, elusive and difficult to define through words. In this new exhibition a group of Sussex-based artists will explore the theme through photography, film, painting, ceramics and poetry – seeking to coax beauty out of ugliness, and find it in the everyday, the ordinary and the impermanent.
“If you have ever seen the story in a piece of weathered driftwood, felt the tears in a faded photo, or witnessed the ephemeral beauty of a dew drop catching the morning sun on a leaf,” says organiser Nigel Thompson, “then the essence of the Wabi Sabi aesthetic will speak to you.” The exhibition takes place at Agora, itself a temporary art space in the heart of old Shoreham by Sea. Agora, run by national organisation the Empty Shops Network, is based in a formerly derelict shop which has been restored using funds from Adur & Worthing Regeneration. It now provides a gallery, studios, workspace, meeting rooms and social space and is the perfect venue for this show, with its generous gallery space and garden.
Artists exploring Wabi Sabi include Brighton ceramic artist Gill Parsons, Worthing-based photographer Nigel Thompson, and Steyning artist Debbie Zoutewelle who uses drawings. Other artists contribute film, haiku, and installations.
The exhibitions 'Wabi Sabi – ordinary beauty' is open from 17th-24th July at Agora, New Road, Shoreham by Sea. Admission is free.
The ancient Japanese philosophy of 'Wabi Sabi' is notoriously enigmatic, elusive and difficult to define through words. In this new exhibition a group of Sussex-based artists will explore the theme through photography, film, painting, ceramics and poetry – seeking to coax beauty out of ugliness, and find it in the everyday, the ordinary and the impermanent.
“If you have ever seen the story in a piece of weathered driftwood, felt the tears in a faded photo, or witnessed the ephemeral beauty of a dew drop catching the morning sun on a leaf,” says organiser Nigel Thompson, “then the essence of the Wabi Sabi aesthetic will speak to you.” The exhibition takes place at Agora, itself a temporary art space in the heart of old Shoreham by Sea. Agora, run by national organisation the Empty Shops Network, is based in a formerly derelict shop which has been restored using funds from Adur & Worthing Regeneration. It now provides a gallery, studios, workspace, meeting rooms and social space and is the perfect venue for this show, with its generous gallery space and garden.
Artists exploring Wabi Sabi include Brighton ceramic artist Gill Parsons, Worthing-based photographer Nigel Thompson, and Steyning artist Debbie Zoutewelle who uses drawings. Other artists contribute film, haiku, and installations.
The exhibitions 'Wabi Sabi – ordinary beauty' is open from 17th-24th July at Agora, New Road, Shoreham by Sea. Admission is free.