Minimalism refers to a lack of clutter or unnecessary detail. It has had a widespread influence, ranging from the arts to lifestyle.

As an art movement , Minimalism began in post-WWII Western art, and was most prominent in the 1960s through the early 1970s. It is strongly influenced from the reductive aspects associated with some parts of Modernism, including Suprematism , Purism , and De Stijl .

The art movement has had a significant influence on Minimalism as a lifestyle, which is a rejection of consumerist trends with an emphasis on simple living. This lifestyle has become increasingly prominent since 2010, and is commonly associated with The Minimalists.

For most history, Maximalism was mainstream for high end art, design and architecture. At the same time, peasants and most of the population which wasn't part of the elite owned simple objects and lived in basic homes, which to our eyes of today might look 'Minimalistic'. Aside from financial factors, across time, in some circumstances minimalism occurred before Modernism .

Probably the most famous case is the one of Ancient Egyptian pyramids. Both their exteriors and interiors were simplistic. In the case of the Pyramids of Giza, they were initially covered in a layer of smooth white limestone, and their tops were covered in gold. What we see today is the core structure, since the surface polished limestone layer was used to build the city of Cairo during the Middle Ages. Another form of ancient Minimalism was the exterior of Byzantine buildings, especially churches. Because Christian liturgies are held in the interior of the churches, Byzantine exteriors usually have little if any ornamentation. Still produced today, admired and collected by many Minimalists are simple Japanese ceramics. Across time, both sophisticated highly decorated porcelain and simple everyday ware were produced in Japan. These simple Japanese pots, coloured in earthy tones, inspired many Art Nouveau ceramists and glass makers during the 1890s and the 1900s.

Buddhist teachings have also influenced the development of minimalism in South Asia and East Asia, as they value simplicity and detachment from material possessions. The Buddhist concept of aparigraha (non-possessiveness) encourages freedom from material desires and attachment to worldly goods. This belief is based on the idea that minimizing one's belongings can help them achieve inner peace. Buddhism also encourages mindfulness, based on appreciating existing possessions rather than a constant pursuit of more.

Various art movements beginning in the early 20th century influenced the emergence of minimalism. For instance, the Plakatstil and International Typographic Style currents from Germany and Switzerland pioneered minimality in graphic design with their limited colours, simple compositions, and lack of clutter. Furthermore, Precisionism was an art movement in the United States after World War I and it also incorporated design principles that would be popular later on with Minimalism, such as depicting the world in a reduced form.

Minimalism refers to a lack of clutter. This means that visuals tend to be very simple and remove unnecessary details. Solid colors are very common. Simple patterns may also appear; anything that is complex will not. Colors also tend to be very muted.

Minimal fashion is simple and quiet and doesn't have bold and bright colours like other aesthetics. Some aspects of the fashion may include:

These are Youtubers who frequently talk about minimalism and related topics.