nature, aesthetics and taste
In the contemplation of a sunset on a calm evening, in the stillness and awe something shifts in us, we become one with nature. In this moment we realise how connected we are with nature, what a beautiful creation it is. Our relationship with nature has profoundly influenced what we find beautiful, meaningful, and worth preserving. But how exactly does nature shape our sense of aesthetics, and how do we develop our individual and collective taste?
Long before humans started creating art, we experienced it through nature. Our brains still fire up when we see fractals in leaves, soft gradients at sunset, or the golden-ratio curves of a shell. Those patterns feel familiar and safe, making us to perceive them as beautiful. Beyond our biological and cultural inheritance, our individual experiences with nature profoundly shape our aesthetic preferences. The landscapes of our childhood often hold special significance, becoming the baseline against which we judge other environments. Our memories of specific natural encounters— when I was a kid I still remember the nature around me. I was lucky to live in a small town in Kerala, where the backdrops I saw were beaches, backwaters and beautiful flora and fauna. These experiences still take me back to my childhood.
"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better." — Albert Einstein
This deep looking reveals something transformative: when we shift our perspective and see nature, not just seeing it as backdrop. Animals, plants, ecosystems, all part of a living network with their own experiences that matter. Changes how you think about design and action. Something that our ancestors taught us and it's long lost. By seeing ourselves as a part of nature, we can cultivate aesthetic sensitivity from regular exposure to nature and slow observation. Observing with curiosity and this curious exploration will continue and take us to many places.
As a designer, I always wonder how I can work on my taste. At this point, what I have learned and experienced from life is that our taste is reflected in our observations. Look deep into nature, and you will see your reflection. When I was designing conscious cards, the colours and names were all inspired by nature. As an emotional exploration card set, we didn't name the emotions directly but rather drew inspiration from the natural world—for example, happiness is "sunshine bloom," anger is "thrashing thunder," and fear is "moonlight shiver." Everything from the colours, names, and iconography reflected this natural influence.
In our rapidly changing world, where both nature and tech like AI are changing faster than ever before, our aesthetic relationship with nature remains fundamental to how we understand beauty, meaning, and value. By reflecting on how nature shapes our sense of aesthetics and consciously cultivating our capacity to appreciate natural beauty in all its forms, we can develop taste that is not merely refined but ecologically informed and ethically grounded. AI can generate text, art, designs. But what gives them meaning? That is within us, our intentions, values and taste. That is something which is very primal in us and as attentive students we can learn from nature.