[Header Image Credit] If Fermat had been a composer (Brown Sharpie)
Yohaku ?
This particular phrase, though not frequently, keeps recurring in my mind.
Yohaku: The Beauty of Empty Space
Yohaku (余白), often translated as "margin," "blank space," or "negative space," is a Japanese design and aesthetic principle that celebrates the power of what is left unsaid, unseen, or unfilled. By embracing emptiness rather than filling every corner, yohaku creates balance, focus, and a sense of calm.
The Beauty of Empty Space
When discussing the uniquely Japanese sense of beauty, the words "ma" and "yohaku" are indispensable, as are "wabi-sabi." "Ma" is mainly used in theater, music, and interpersonal relationships, while "yohaku" is frequently used in art, design, and for other two-dimensional works.
As mentioned in the first quote, yohaku is translated into English, French and Spanish as follows according to Wikipedia:
【英】：negative space
【仏】：l'espace négatif
【西】：el espacio negativo
In my humble opinion, "negative space" is not deemed to be perfectly appropriate, but provides a perfect example for "Lost in Translation". Its meaning in Japanese culture is deeper, encompassing the beauty of what is left unsaid and the philosophical idea that emptiness itself has value.
The Wikipedia pages in English, French and Spanish contain the same description:
The use of negative space is a key element of artistic composition. The Japanese word "ma" is sometimes used for this concept, for example in garden design. In a composition, the positive space has the more visual weight while the surrounding space - that is less visually important is seen as the negative space.
On the other hand, it's very interesting that completely different images are used in the above Wikipedia pages in order to supplement the explanation⬇️
【英】：Face or vase - Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
【仏】：Ambigram tessellation with Escher (M. C. Escher)
【西】：A monument in Ukraine
Ilan Yanitzky
10+ years ago, I had the opportunity to see a short video by Ilan Yanitzky, a Sumie and Calligraphy Artist.
That was so impressive, and what I remember is roughly the following:
We (westerners) try to fill any gaps we find. This is to prevent misunderstandings by describing things as concretely as possible. Yet no matter how much we fill in the gaps, misunderstandings still arise.
Here (in Japan), however, they treat that space between things as something very important...
三十三観音
The following serene article by 光と風のアルバム様 is the direct reason why it occurred to me to write an article, which is effectively nothing more than a rambling, since I am a complete outsider with absolutely no qualifications to write about this field.
Let me quote:
I was unable to process the expression 「心の中にも、余白が生まれる」, an experimental translation of which is something like:
A blank space emerges even in the heart.
Then, I made an attempt to define this "blank space in the heart".
Skipping the process, what I realized is that such an attempt would come to naught since I was virtually trying to define what refuses to be defined…
Null ≠ Undefined
For those who understand computer programming, it won't require any annotation for this caption. It is important to note, however, that both "Null" and "Undefined" are clearly defined.
It might make a sense to understand yohaku as something similar to "undefined", but there still remains a question. "Undefined" could result in anything unexpected, which is probably different from what yohaku is intended to provide though vaguely.
Something else
As shown in the screenshot below, there are a significant number of creators on no+e whose names or profiles include the word "余白”(yohaku):
Clearly, this particular word resonates with many Japanese people.
Unfortunately, having lived under a mathematical mindset, I look at things from a different perspective with a belief that a clear definition or description is sacrosanct, in other words absence of definition is deadly⬇️
余白メモ
Thus, I have no connection whatsoever to yohaku.
However, I am truly grateful for the following 「余白メモ」"margin notes" as they help broaden my perspective.
【余白メモ】『般若心経』／何が書かれているのか＜序＞
https://note.com/22ndcentury/n/n7b04a2ed0f36
【随想】『般若心経』／何が書かれているのか＜本編＞
https://note.com/22ndcentury/n/n1b61fc08315a
My sincere thanks✨ to the following succinct but unforgettable message
which is closed with （余白メモより 代理投稿）.
May the convalescence for this author whom I immensely respect be short🙏
🔳