“We shape clay into a pot, but it is the emptiness inside that holds whatever we want.”
~ Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
In design, as in life, it’s the space around the form that gives it meaning. Consider a pause in music that makes the following note hit even harder. Or the silence between words in a powerful speech. The margin that frames a photograph, the quiet moment in a film that says more than dialogue ever could. It’s the break in a pattern that makes us notice the pattern. It's the absence that makes presence feel intentional.
This is my reflection on how designing the invisible often reveals more. Let's dive right in!
SO, WHAT IS NEGATIVE SPACE?
The negative space can be defined as the area around, between, or within the main elements of a composition. While it may appear as a void or space, it is, in fact, an intentional and active design tool. It shapes meaning, guides perception, provides visual breathing room, directs the viewer’s eye, establishes hierarchy, and often carries emotional or psychological weight.
In the hands of fluent designers, negative space is a powerful design element.
THE ART OF NEGATIVE SPACE – THE CONTEXT
Negative space is a powerful element, used across design, art, philosophy, psychology, and literature - not just to create contrast, but to evoke emotion, provoke thought, and give form to the invisible. It bridges the seen and unseen, the tangible and intangible.
In art, sometimes what isn’t painted can be just as expressive as what is. Japanese ink painting (Sumi-e) by Zen monk and painter Sesshu Toyo exemplifies this beautifully. His landscapes use emptiness in the background to emphasise simplicity and spiritual depth. Just as Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging, reminds us that negative space is active - it’s part of the nature of things, reflecting rhythms and life’s impermanence.
In parallel, the Japanese concept of ma, meaning “space in between,” plays a central role in haiku poetry. Have you ever noticed how that pause, that silence, that gap between thoughts is charged with meaning? The brevity of haiku, often just 17 syllables, forces the poet to leave things unsaid, inviting the reader to step in and complete the moment.
In visual perception, Rubin’s vase flips our understanding of figure and ground, turning absence into faces through contrast and contour. In the same vein, ‘Pedernal – From the Ranch #1’ evokes quiet reverence as American painter, Georgia O’Keeffe, uses the sky’s negative space to frame the mountain and reflect her deep emotional bond with the land. Likewise, Matisse’s “Icarus” uses negative space to amplify drama and emotion, surrounding the figure with emptiness that heightens tension.
Gestalt psychology reveals that the brain doesn’t just perceive isolated parts; it instinctively perceives patterns and wholes, transforming fragments into meaningful wholes. Consider the FedEx logo, the arrow hidden in the negative space between the “E” and “x” isn’t drawn, yet our brain sees it instantly. That’s Gestalt in action.
Philosophies that embrace imperfection, transience, and emptiness—such as Wabi-sabi in Japan, Shunyata, the concept of emptiness or void in the Indian Buddhist philosophical tradition, Daoist simplicity and Wu Wei in China, and Dreamtime in Indigenous Australian culture—all echo the spirit of negative space. These aren’t just design principles; they’re embedded in our cultural worldviews. In Dreamtime, for instance, dot paintings use space to suggest spiritual presence and connection to natural forces. Across these traditions, we are invited to slow down, notice the cracks, and find meaning in the quiet spaces between things.
In Bharatanatyam, the classical Indian dance form, deliberate pauses act like negative space - highlighting transitions, allowing the dancer to hold a pose and let emotion settle. These moments reflect principles from the Natyashastra, where stillness (sthayi) is as expressive as motion.
Another striking example is John Cage’s 4'33", a modernist composition where performers remain silent, making ambient sounds the “music” itself. It reframes silence as presence.
In much the same way, Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in architecture utilises sweeping voids and open spaces to make absence a sculptural force, shaping how we move, feel, and perceive form. Parallel to this, in literature, Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” turns silence into subtext, proving that what’s left unsaid can speak louder than words.
HOW I DESIGN WITH NEGATIVE SPACE, INTENTIONALLY
As you can tell, I have a soft spot for negative space. These are a few of my jewellery creations where space does the talking. Still, I would like to share some context behind them for you.
My inspiration for ‘Ethereal Rhapsody’, a Tahitian pearl and diamond necklace, came from the Pleiades star clusters, also known as the Seven Sisters in Greek mythology. The interplay of light, shadow, and colour became imperative for me to accentuate the neckpiece's rhythmic, interconnected shapes, which serve to contrast them against the negative space that is always visible within and around the piece. It was a constant negotiation of form, movement, and space, something which I hoped would be evident when viewing this piece from different viewing angles.
The ‘Glacier’ Canadian diamonds ring was born from my awe of Canada’s vast, untouched landscapes. I used negative space to echo that stillness, letting the emptiness hold presence, openness, a vessel for diverse thoughts and ideas.
In the ‘Cosmic’ Tahitian pearls and diamonds pendant, what you see is an intentional void - a cosmic evolution, a gesture of growth and expansion. The negative space invites the mind to complete the form, offering an emotional resolution of sorts. This piece holds the feeling of becoming, of something intimate and vast unfolding within. What’s left out is where the story settles.
Though I have shared a glimpse behind my thoughts, I invite you to interpret these jewels through the lens of negative space. What do you see? What shifts when you consider what’s been intentionally left out? Without negative space, would the message still resonate, or would it lose its breath, its rhythm, its soul? The decisions I make as a jewellery designer, every contour, every pause, if you see it closely, are autobiographical here. If you look closely, you will find me there—in the silence between the contours, in the spaces I chose not to fill.
Tips to Design the Invisible
In design, what we leave out is as important as what we include. We need to view negative space as active, not passive. But herein lies the challenge. We need to understand compositional fundamentals and trust the power of restraint. Here are some tips to design with negative space:
Let it breathe
Don’t overcrowd. Be economical. Space adds elegance and clarity. A delicate gap between stones, a clean-cut outline in metal, or a minimalist setting can make the piece feel more refined and intentional. Think of it like a haiku; what’s left unsaid adds meaning.
Use absence to create focus
Use gaps to highlight focal points and shape perception. A well-placed void can guide the eye, highlight a focal gem or message, or suggest a shape without drawing it. Just like in Gestalt psychology, the brain fills in what’s missing. Make silence the statement.
Add tension
Emptiness around bold forms creates visual hierarchy, drama, and emotion. For example, in jewellery design, this might mean a bold silhouette surrounded by open metalwork or airy filigree or diamond pavé.
Channel philosophical depth
Embed philosophies like wabi-sabi, ma, and shunyata. Less can mean more. Imperfections within voids? Sometimes it’s the perfect choice. A jewellery piece doesn’t need to be loud to be powerful.
Think spatially, not just ornamentally
Like dance, pauses and space create flow and presence. Jewellery interacts with the body. Negative space can frame or show the skin, echo movement, let light move in, or create rhythm, just like pauses in Bharatanatyam dance. Don’t over-polish. A raw edge, an intentional void, or a subtle asymmetrical space can make a piece feel more human and emotionally engaging.
Invite the viewer in
Leave room for interpretation. A design that’s not overly literal allows the wearer to project their own meaning. Go beyond the obvious.
A well-employed negative space often reveals more than technical skill; it shows a refined design mind attuned to emotion, rhythm, and restraint. It’s the mark of someone who understands that beauty isn’t just built from form, but from the tension between presence and absence.
SO, IN THE END, WHAT DOES NEGATIVE SPACE REALLY OFFER US?
Not just emptiness, but possibility.Sometimes, what’s left unsaid, unseen, or untouched becomes the most potent part of the story. In jewellery, in art, in life - what we leave out is just as important as what we put in. Stop overthinking. Trust the gaps. Let your work breathe. That’s where the soul sneaks in.
Mastering the use of negative space takes time, intention, and a deep understanding - it’s a designer’s skill built on restraint and insight.
For designers, negative space is a quiet superpower.
Wield it with care.
REENA AHLUWALIA IS A JEWELRY DESIGNER, ARTIST, PROFESSOR, AND PIONEERING VOICE ACROSS THE DIAMOND AND JEWELRY INDUSTRY. HALL OF FAME HONOUREE.