Belgian designer and antiques collector, gallery owner, author of three books Axel Vervoordt talks about inspiration by the Japanese wabi philosophy. It based on simplicity and restraint, on a rejection of everything excessive, extreme and artificial, on using natural materials and ancient objects. Vervoordt designed houses for Kanye West and Kim Kardashian.

0:43 — The exhibition in Venice

03:31 — Time, pure and buddism in art

08:40 — Japanese art philosophy

15:47 — Watching and analyzing paintings

24:32 — What wabi-sabi is

This lecture took place at Strelka Institute in 2011. Watch the video lecture and browse the archive of Strelka events: [https://stre.lk/v3Oe](https://stre.lk/xBph)