Hearing Wabi Sabi in Debussy’s Feuilles Mortes
Debussy’s music is often considered the epitome of Impressionism, despite his rejection of the term. Influenced by Asian aesthetics, including Javanese gamelan and Japanese woodblock prints, Debussy’s music invites alternative ways of listening beyond the traditional Impressionist lens. This presentation explores the Japanese philosophy of Wabi Sabi as an alternative approach to Debussy’s Feuilles Mortes (“Dead Leaves”).
Ceramic artist Abraham Ling’s work becomes a quiet companion to the music, drawing on Wabi Sabi’s embrace of impermanence, imperfection and the passage of time. He will share how these principles inform his wood-fired ceramic practice, while pianist Khoo Hui Ling applies them to her interpretation of Feuilles Mortes, culminating in a performance of the Prelude. Together, music and ceramics invite an awareness of beauty in what is passing, incomplete and quietly alive.
The presentation considers how Wabi Sabi might influence musical performance and listening, how ceramics and music intersect, and whether cross-cultural and interdisciplinary exchange can shift artistic beliefs and approaches. By bringing together East and West, music and ceramics, the artists explore how interweaving different traditions can open new ways of finding artistic voices.
Dr Khoo Hui Ling is a pianist, pedagogue, researcher and entrepreneur based in Singapore, and formerly an Adjunct Lecturer at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music. She is the founder of The Music Studios, a collective of private music teachers. Her diverse musical projects have been presented in creatively programmed recitals in the US, Europe and Singapore. Her multidisciplinary practice has also led to intercultural collaborations and productions with dancers.
Dr Khoo Hui Ling
Abraham Ling is a ceramic artist inspired by the ancient wood-firing tradition of Ipoh, Malaysia. He recently built an Aquagama kiln, revitalising a nearly forgotten technique grounded in the interaction of air and water. His solo exhibition at Tanjong Pagar Art Hub in 2024 marked a major turning point following a decade of creative development. He has also curated numerous exhibitions locally and internationally, shaping their conceptual frameworks and spatial narratives.