At first glance, Minimalism—a 20th-century design movement—and Aparigraha, an ancient Jain principle of non-possessiveness, may seem worlds apart. One expresses itself through clean lines and white space; the other through spiritual self-restraint. Yet beneath their surfaces, both share a profound, enduring truth: less can lead to more—more clarity, more peace, more meaning.
Minimalism emerged in the mid-20th century as both a reaction and a refinement—challenging the excesses of abstract expressionism while distilling the essence of form, space, and material. Its mantra, “less is more,” popularized by architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, reshaped the language of art and design into one of restraint, clarity, and quiet power.
Piet Mondrian, the Dutch painter best known for his stark compositions of red, blue, and yellow within rigid black grids, profoundly influenced the trajectory of modern art. What began as an evolution from representational landscapes to pure abstraction ultimately became a visual philosophy: neoplasticism.
