Mono no Aware

This Japanese phrase translates literally as, ‘the pathos of things’ or ‘a sensitivity to ephemera’. The concept refers to our awareness of impermanence and the transient nature of all things, encompassing both a fleeting sadness at their passing, as well as a ‘longer, deeper, gentle sadness about this state being the reality of life’.

Mparntwe-based artists Ness Sim, Anke Klevjer and Gretel Bull explore the themes of loss, lostness, longing and lament through a series of ceramic vessels designed to hold mono no aware.