A love of beauty runs in my blood. My father was a goldsmith, my mother studied and practiced ikebana, and they filled my years at home with thoughtful beauty. I made my first gold ring at ten, and worked in my father’s jewelry store until I left home at eighteen. During the subsequent years, my general appreciation of beauty matured into a lasting fascination with Asian arts, and I began collecting Japanese antiques. My criterion for obtaining these items was the same then as it is now: a rare, palpable essence of quality and timeless beauty. The Japanese have a word for such beauty: Shibui.

To enhance my understanding of the eastern aesthetic that so enthralled me, I studied the classics at St. John’s College in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I had taken my beautiful surroundings for granted before, but at college I learned just how important they were to me. My new home was an aesthetic void – a cold, bare cinderblock dorm room. I felt bereft in these sterile quarters, but on a student budget I could no longer afford to live amid the beauty that nourished me. Still, I knew I wouldn’t be happy until I did.

Over time, this lack of beauty and funds gave me an idea: I could send for the objects that made my last home so beautiful, and sell a few to finance the shipping. When I put them on the market, the interest that met these eastern antiques was overwhelming. As it turned out, I wasn’t the only person in the desert who loved the elegant simplicity of Asian art. People were hungry for more, so I began to furnish them. It was my junior year in college, and Shibui was born.

Since graduating, I have worked exclusively to develop Shibui and make it accessible to people around the world. I continue to study and increase my familiarity with things Shibui, and strive to acquire one-of-a-kind merchandise that can transform and enrich any setting. At Shibui, I do what I love: share my passion with others and add beauty to their lives. Thank you for your interest in our collection; we hope it will enhance your life as well.

Sincerely,

Dane Owen