Japanese Art with another dimension Suiseki is something happening naturally

The Japanese are known for their wonderful aesthetic sense and attention to detail. I remember reading somewhere that in Japan, art is to be found every day, in every thing – even  a sandwich in Japan is not just a sandwich. It is cut with precision, the vegetables and meat are arranged harmoniously and time is spent on placing them in a way that is pleasing to the sight. Even a mountain of litter is artistically arranged!

On the news, there was a feature on how Japanese women take classes to learn how to pack their children's lunch in attractive, innovative ways. They shape rice balls like pandas or cartoon characters, cut vegetables and fruits creatively to prepare a lunch that children are happy to see, even if they do consume the 'art' in a matter of minutes!

Suiseki, or the art of collection and appreciation of stones, also shows how the Japanese strive to find beauty in everything around them, be it ever so small and insignificant at first glance. Suiseki may also refer to the objects that are observed.

A Suiseki enthusiast will tell you how stones come in different shapes and forms, and how their texture gives a clue of where there come from and how they developed. The objective is to find stones that are beautiful – they may be shaped like human beings, they may be detaild mountains on a miniature scale, animals or abstract.

Suiseki finally results in appreciation of the elements and the forces that carve the world we see around us. It fills one with a sense of wonder and joy at the elaborate work of nature.