26 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY AUGUST 27-SEPTEMBER 2, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com ART It’s possible to work in the aesthetics of wabi-sabi without ever knowing the name for it—for example, to love the old, the nonfunctional, the broken vase that no longer holds water, purely because something in you responds to it. That’s how it happened for multimedia artist Peter Hiller, who approached the Japanese American Citizens League of the Monterey Peninsula with an idea: a pop-up exhibit built entirely around the Chinese-Japanese concept of wabi-sabi, featuring his ceramics, sculpture, mixed media and photography. “Peter approached us about this fabulous idea,” says Adam Gota, a mixed media artist and JACL board member who shares Hiller’s interest in the philosophy, and who is contributing large mixed media paintings dense with texture. “I was like, yes, please. My work used to be a lot more rigid and tight. The philosophy of wabi-sabi helps me loosen up. I used to feel like art was stressful if you made a mistake—now I feel like there are no mistakes.” For Hiller, the discovery came earlier. “I fell in love with the idea of wabi-sabi when I was a kid,” he says. “I just didn’t know it was called that. Things with a lot of texture: rust, peeling paint, cracks—things that were interesting to my eye.” He only learned the term itself about a year ago. Gota’s introduction came differently, from a friend describing things as “wabi-sabi” while traveling in Asia, and later deepened during a month spent in Japan. “They really hold on to older things, and they keep it beautiful,” he says. “If it breaks, they fill it with gold, and it becomes even more beautiful— one of a kind. Something broken isn’t finished. It lives a new life, improved.” That philosophy runs directly through Gota’s material choices: his grandmother’s old scarves and imagery drawn from his family’s history on the Peninsula, which stretches back to 1904, including the tea house his great-grandparents ran in Pacific Grove and the forced incarceration of his family endured during World War II. Impermanence, imperfection, asymmetry—the exhibit doesn’t try to define wabi-sabi so much as offer a glimpse into it. Another is A Wabi-Sabi Journey, an exhibit of photographs by Meredith Mullins at the Pacific Grove Art Center opening Sept. 4. The Beauty and Wonder of Wabi-Sabi is available 5-7pm Friday, Aug. 28 (opening reception); 1-4pm Saturday, Aug. 29 and Sunday, Aug. 30. Japanese American Citizens League, 424 Adams St., Monterey. Free. (831) 648-8830, jaclmonterey.org. DANIEL DREIFUSS Broken Fix A pop-up exhibit by two local artists offers a glimpse into the concept of wabi-sabi. By Agata Popęda Wabi-sabi, the art of celebrating imperfections, appeals across generations. Above, Peter Hiller (left) and Adam Gota, the two artists behind a pop-up exhibit Aug. 28-30. Originally Produced by the WRP Theatre New York City, 1995 (Kyle Renick, Artistic Director) Original Orchestration by Brian Besterman and Jason Robert Brown SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com August 15 - September 6, 2026 SONGS for a NEW WORLD Music and Lyrics by Jason Robert Brown westernstage.com/tickets 831.755.6816 SCAN for Tickets Music that captures life’s boldest turning points.. 146 12TH STREET • PACIFIC GROVE AdvAnce tickets AvAilAble At www.celticsociety.org $30 AdvAnce / $35 door $12 for 12 And under SAN MIGUEL FRASER Maria San Miguel and Galen Fraser redefine folk music with a dynamic fusion of Castilian and Celtic traditions. SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 3PM • DOORS OPEN AT 2:30PM • BISTRO Call or text 831-224-3819 for more info. www.stmarysbythesea.org
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