Beauty, Starting from the Tea Cup: Han Bao De on Beauty

Author: Han Bao-de
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-10-01
Features: The unique aspect of this book lies in its clear elucidation of the relationship among art, design, and beauty, pointing out that art and beauty have now become separated, while the integration of beauty with design and daily life represents a new trend. This is an issue that past aestheticians had not fully realized, designers had not clearly articulated, and the general public often felt confused about. Han Bao-de explains this matter in simple and straightforward language, something that previous scholars had not achieved. – Editor’s Recommendation
We once ardently pursued beauty. Mr. Cai Yuanpei proposed "aesthetics replacing religion," and in the 1980s, there was also what was called an "aesthetics fever." However, the reality is that our urban landscapes, everyday utensils, and even lifestyles and quality of life are plagued by lamentable chaos and crudeness due to the lack of aesthetic sense. This is undoubtedly influenced by economic and historical factors, but more importantly, perhaps, for a hundred years, our way of thinking about and discussing beauty has been on the wrong track.
The renowned Taiwanese architect Han Bao-de takes a broad perspective while focusing on the details. Starting from the beauty closest to daily life, he discusses cups and vessels commonly found everywhere, and ultimately concludes that beauty is the "foundation of civilization," the "essence of human dignity," and a "cultural force." He states: "For a hundred years in China, what has been discussed as 'beauty' has been confused with 'aesthetics,' but he believes that beauty is 'aesthetic feeling,' a 'shared human sensation,' and closely tied to life." He further points out that the greatest obstacle to promoting aesthetic education is not anything else but the general public’s perception of beauty as embodied in art. Due to the conflation of beauty and art, aesthetic education has been hampered by art, leaving it without a clear path.
The text also reveals an underlying concern for the public’s insufficient recognition of beauty, reflecting the sense of urgency and humanistic care of a cultural figure. The work uses sincere and earnest language, employing an accessible and easy-to-understand approach to explain beauty to us, clarify it for us, help us recognize it, and guide us to open the door to beauty.