Emptiness was completely achieved by Sen no Rikyu, the tea master who perfected cha no yu (the tea ceremony) during the Momoyama period (1573-1615). In cha no yu, master and guest engage in deep communication face to face in the chashitsu (tea room), an empty space of ultimate simplicity. The sole decorations are a flower display and a painted scroll in an alcove, as a unified whole. With the slightest changes to this simple arrangement, the chashitsu can become an alcove under a cherry tree in full bloom, or the seashore, awash in crashing waves. Cha no yu utilizes emptiness, evolving as a performance art that freely deposits imagination into - and withdraws imagination from- that emptiness.
p.13, WA: The Essence of Japanese Design. Menegazzo & Piotti, Phaidon Limited, 2014.
