Wabi-sabi, that ancient philosophy which embraces imperfection, lies at the very heart of Japanese traditions—both artistic and societal.
Today, it is being diluted by modernity.
Worse still, this timeless aesthetic—nourished by the slow passage of time and enriched by the patina of age—is being cheapened by the mass-market home décor industry.
Reducing wabi-sabi to what it once was, or to a fleeting “lifestyle” trend, is to confine it within a box.
From their encounter with architect Kengo Kuma, the authors have retained—and illustrate here—his vision of “modern wabi-sabi.
Through their travels in India, Europe, and Morocco, they have witnessed the transcontinental ripple effect of wabi-sabi and, through this aesthetic, the subtle yet powerful influence of Japan.
While journeying through the Japanese archipelago, they met with a new generation who is preserving, revealing, and carrying forward this philosophy: the new ambassadors of wabi-sabi.
From a shared moment with a monk in a teahouse to a thousand quiet joys, they experienced the wabi-sabi feeling… They summon it here, and invite you to experience it too.
Part travel journal, part photo book, and part collection of testimonies—Anne-Emmanuelle Thion, a nomadic photographer, and Thierry Grundman, a traveling antiques dealer and founder of Atmosphère d’Ailleurs and the Wabi-Sabi Lab—offer a cross-cultural, contemporary vision of wabi-sabi through encounters with those who embody it today.
wabi-sabi, the ancient philosophy that values imperfection, lies at the heart of Japanese traditions, both artistic and societal. Today, it is blending into modernity. Worse, this timeless aesthetic, which thrives on the passage of time and gains richness from the patina of age, has been diluted by the mass-market decoration industry. Reducing wabi-sabi to what it once was, or to a “lifestyle” trend, means confining it within a box.
From their encounter with Architect Kengo Kuma, the authors have captured and illustrated his vision of “modern wabi-sabi.” Through their travels, they have observed the transcontinental flow of wabi-sabi and, through this aesthetic, the influence Japan exerts. Traveling across the archipelago, they have met with a new generation that defends, reveals, and perpetuates this philosophy: the new ambassadors of wabi-sabi.
From a shared moment with a monk in a teahouse, to a thousand little joys, they have felt the essence of wabi-sabi… They now invoke it and invite you to experience it.
A travel journal, a book of images, and testimonials… Anne-Emmanuelle Thion, globe-trotting photographer, and Thierry Grundman, traveling antiquarian, founder of Atmosphère d’Ailleurs and the wabi-sabi Lab, take you on a journey to discover a cross-cultural and multifaceted vision of wabi-sabi, meeting its contemporary advocates along the way.
Author: Thierry Grundman
Photographer: Anne-Emmanuelle Thion
Foreword by Kengo Kuma
240 pages, hardcover bound with natural linen
Publication: September 1st, 2025
Price will be 95 EUR. (instead of 79 EUR.) from September, 2025.
Size: 22,4 x 31 cm (8.82 x 12.20 inches)
Bilingual edition (English + French)
