Junfeng Li, Hang Wu, Qiang Fu

Qiang Fu

June 30, 2026

Song literati aesthetics, Japanese wabi-sabi aesthetics, Organic minimalism

In the context of deepening globalization, cross-cultural comparative aesthetics holds significant value for understanding the spirit of East Asian art and its contemporary relevance. Song literati aesthetics and Japanese wabi-sabi aesthetics, as two pinnacles of Eastern aesthetics, both champion simplicity, naturalness, and inner spirituality, yet exhibit distinct characteristics in their philosophical foundations and modes of expression. The Eastern aesthetic paradigm they represent offers the precious Other for reflecting on the “minimalism” narrative dominated by Western modernism. By excavating the profound ontological and ethical core beneath their minimalist appearance, this paper seeks to reveal an “organic minimalism”—imbued with spiritual warmth and distinct from Western industrial coldness—thus providing a theoretical basis for re-evaluating the universal value of Eastern classical aesthetics in the contemporary world.

© 2026, the Authors. Published by ISCCAC

This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC license