Chroma (2023)

Chroma (2023) depicts someone who can hear colors and feel sounds, reminiscent of the condition called Synesthesia. People diagnosed with Synesthesia experience a blending of their senses, which causes them to intertwine with one another. To describe what synesthetes are, experts simplify their perceptions of the world to being able to hear colors, feel sounds, and taste shapes. The condition occurs from increased communication between sensory regions and is involuntary, automatic, and stable over time. While synesthesia can occur in response to drugs, sensory deprivation, or brain damage, research has primarily focused on heritable variants comprising roughly 4% of the general population. So, I want to show this condition by drawing a ¾ view of a person. In my digital painting, I created an artwork that is reminiscent of vintage comic drawings, with thick black lines and scattered dot textures. By including the notable TV color bar colors flooding into the person’s ears and their eyes containing hypnotic spirals, these two notions help visualize their ability to hear colors and their feeling of sound in their eyes.

References:

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-is-synesthesia/#:~:text=Synesthesia%20is%20an%20anomalous%20blending,feel%20sounds%20and%20taste%20shapes.
https://www.apa.org/monitor/mar01/synesthesia
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3222625/#:~:text=The%20condition%20occurs%20from%20increased,4%25%20of%20the%20general%20population.