Designs that bloom in the margins - Ogata Korin and the aesthetics of WABISUKE

by kataokatetsuya September 25, 2025

Design blooms in silence.
Ogata Korin did not just paint flowers.
It was a "margin of beauty" that fluctuates over time.

Born in the mid-Edo period to the wealthy Kyoto kimono merchant Kariganeya, Ogata Korin was surrounded by dyeing and weaving and crafts from an early age. His father, Ogata Sohaku, was a townsman but known as a man of culture, well-versed in the tea ceremony, calligraphy, and painting. Influenced by his father, Korin eventually developed his own unique aesthetic in painting, crafts, calligraphy, and design, and became renowned as a representative of the Rinpa school.

Korin's works combine the opulence of gold leaf with the randomness of tarashikomi. He boldly abstracts natural motifs, and through clever use of composition and white space, he brings to light "things that are not depicted."
This aesthetic sense resonates in some way with WABISUKE's goal of "poetry in silence."

The feeling of wind lingers in the Irises Screen

One of Korin's masterpieces is the National Treasure Irises Screen.
The ultramarine and verdigris irises floating on a gold background appear symmetrical, yet sway somewhat irregularly.
There is a wind blowing, the water sparkling, and signs of the changing seasons, but neither the wind nor the water is depicted.
There is certainly something there that is not depicted.
This "presence of absence" is the true essence of Korin, and also the "beauty of white space" that WABISUKE values.

The colors, words, composition and spacing we choose every day are all designed to help us feel the "invisible."
For example, the color used in the background of a product.
We want it to be more than just decoration; we want it to be a "quiet message" that evokes the feeling of the season and the memories of those who pick it up.
Korin's irises bring a breeze to the hearts of those who see them.

Poetry in Crafts - Yatsuhashi Maki-e and Raden Inkstone Box

Korin poured his aesthetic sense not only into painting, but also into maki-e and pottery.
The Yatsuhashi makie and mother-of-pearl inlay inkstone box is a prime example.
The design of irises and bridges, painted with gold lacquer and mother-of-pearl, is not only visually beautiful but also contains a narrative quality.
Based on the Yatsuhashi scene from the "Azuma-kudari" chapter of the Tales of Ise, the abstract composition stimulates the imagination of the user.

This "beauty that is completed through use" is also reflected in the crafts that WABISUKE creates.
The tools, vessels, fabrics and paper we make only become poetry when they are picked up in the lives of those who use them.
Just like the stories that Korin put into his inkstone boxes, we hope that WABISUKE's products will also quietly speak to you in your daily life.

Korin Wave and Korin Plum - A Design Inherited

The designs that bear Ogata Korin's name are still alive in our lives today.
For example, "Korin Wave."
This abstract pattern of undulating waves is widely used in kimonos, Japanese sweets, and even architectural decorations.
The design of plum blossoms, known as "Korin plums," has also been incorporated into many crafts, as it combines grace and strength while simplifying the petals.

These designs are not just patterns.
It is a "poetry of form" that extracts the essence of nature and conveys it across the ages.
WABISUKE also seeks to create "beauty that will last" that resonates with the modern era through colors, lines, materials, and words.
It is a beauty that is not influenced by trends, yet breathes with the times.
We aim to create products that, when picked up by someone 100 years from now, will evoke a sense of nostalgia and newness at the same time.

Resonance with Kenzan — A dialogue between brothers

When talking about Korin's art, it is impossible to forget the presence of his younger brother, Ogata Kenzan.
Known as a ceramic artist, Kenzan left behind many collaborative works with his brother Korin.
Korin painted the pottery that Kenzan had fired.
There is a "dialogue of beauty" that transcends blood ties.

This brotherly relationship is also in line with the spirit of "co-creation" that WABISUKE values.
Rather than being the expression of a single artist, new beauty is born from the intersection and resonance of different sensibilities.
This also overlaps with the way WABISUKE collaborates in its zines and product development.
When different eras and perspectives meet, unexpected poetry is born.
Like Korin and Kenzan, we too would like to weave together "margins of beauty" with others.

Drawing by not drawing

Korin's works often contain "things that are not depicted."
For example, the Red and White Plum Blossom Screen.
The river flowing through the center of the painting has no outline, but is expressed only by the smudges of ink.
It is a "blank river" that is left to the imagination of the viewer.
This type of expression is not merely a technique, but an embodiment of the aesthetic of "leaving it up to the viewer's mind."

This attitude of "drawing by not drawing" is also present in WABISUKE's text, photos, and the structure of its product pages.
Rather than explaining everything, leave some space to allow the reader's memories and emotions to arise.
This is exactly the same direction as the gaze towards the "room for beauty" that Korin left us.

Tradition is Creation

Although Ogata Korin studied Tawaraya Sotatsu's designs, he did not simply copy them, but reconstructed them with his own sensibilities.
Through his efforts, Rinpa evolved from "inheritance" to "creation."
This attitude is also the guiding principle when WABISUKE faces tradition.

We don't just want to preserve the good old things, but to reinvent them with modern sensibilities and pass them on to the future.
Just as Korin did, we must continue to renew tradition as something living.
This is the core of WABISUKE's manufacturing.

For the flowers that will bloom 100 years from now

Ogata Korin's beauty continues to touch our hearts even after 300 years.
This may be because his works were not "beauty of the times" but "beauty rooted in human sensibility."
The shapes of nature, the changing seasons, the stillness of space.
In any era, they have the power to make people stop and remember something.

This is exactly the kind of beauty that WABISUKE aims for.
It is about staying in line with the trends of the moment while also incorporating a universal poetic sentiment.
It is a quiet presence that gently touches someone's memories and gives you a reason to stop and think in your daily life.
This is deeply connected to the beauty that Korin described as "drawing by not drawing."

Beauty lives on through its inheritance

Even after Korin's death, his designs and compositions were passed down to many craftsmen and painters.
His successors, such as Sakai Hoitsu and Suzuki Kiitsu, studied Korin's aesthetics but updated the Rinpa school with the sensibilities of their own times.
This spirit of "inheritance and variation" gives us a perspective that sees tradition not simply as preservation, but as a series of creations.

WABISUKE also values "nurturing" traditions rather than "protecting" them.
We reinterpret the good old things using modern language and techniques and pass them on to the next generation.
This overlaps with Korin's approach of depicting a new world with his own colors and compositions, while still respecting Sotatsu.

Learning from Korin: What a brand should be

Ogata Korin's life was by no means smooth sailing.
After my father's death, the family business went into decline and we went through a period of financial hardship.
However, he took advantage of his merchant background and created many works that combined design with practicality.
In addition to painting, he also created fans, kimonos, lacquerware, pottery and other crafts that bring beauty to everyday life.

This "combination of lifestyle and beauty" is also a value that WABISUKE holds dear.
Beauty doesn't just exist in special places.
Poetry resides in our daily lives.
That is why we believe in "beauty that is perfected through use" and continue to create products that are in tune with the time and space of the person who uses them.

Korin's works also have a sense of playfulness.
Bold composition, rhythmic repetition, and unexpected omissions.
They loosen the viewer's mind and invite free rein to the imagination.
WABISUKE's zines, blogs, and social media posts also aim to leave some space for fun.
This is so that readers and viewers can add their own stories to it.
Like Korin, we also believe in "beauty without being too perfected."

In conclusion — The beauty of space, with you

When you look at Ogata Korin's works, you suddenly feel as if time has stopped.
This may be because the flowers and waves he painted are not just natural scenes, but "landscapes of memory."
It gently awakens the nostalgia and longing deep within the viewer's heart.
It is this quiet power that makes Korin's beauty timeless.

WABISUKE also aims to create designs that bloom in memories.
Gently touching someone's heart through colors, words, shapes, and white space.
And when someone 100 years from now picks it up,
I want to continue weaving beauty that makes people feel like, "This is a sign of that time."

As Ogata Korin did,
We too nurture our traditions as living things,
The "margin of beauty" where poetry and practicality resonate with each other continues to quietly bloom today.