{
  "id": 11404635,
  "title": "What does music look like? This British artist paints what he hears",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/what-does-music-look-like-this-british-artist-paints-what-he-hears",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-02T09:18:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Euronews",
    "slug": "euronews",
    "url": "https://www.euronews.com/2026/10/02/what-does-music-look-like-this-british-artist-paints-what-he-hears"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "British artist Jake Andrew perceives music through the lens of color, shape and texture. This phenomenon stems from his synaesthesia, a neurological condition that links sensory experiences. Whenever Andrew hears a sound, an image instantly appears in his mind. Among his preferred instruments to paint is the cello, described as dark yet not ominous, with an edge that resembles tiny dust particles.\n\nAndrew's synaesthesia extends to everyday sounds as well. He visualizes a passing motorbike in dark purple and his friend's dog barking in a lime-green shade. In September, Andrew showcased this unique way of experiencing sound during a live performance at the Handbag Factory in London. Pianists Camden Stewart and Karim Kamar improvised their compositions, which Andrew translated into paint on the spot.\n\nAndrew's paintings do not follow the conventional associations between colors and moods. For instance, the E minor key, typically associated with dark blue and slow legato movements, can also result in vibrant, swirling visuals. Experts in cognitive neuroscience, such as Professor Jamie Ward, explain that synaesthesia like chromesthesia can involve shapes, movement and texture in addition to color.\n\nAlthough sound-to-color synaesthesia can sometimes disrupt Andrew's train of thought, he considers it an integral part of his life. Refusing to see it as a curse, he declares, \"I can't imagine what it would be like to not have it.\" For the musicians involved in the live performance, the experience has been intriguing, with one musician admitting, \"That's like asking me what does a fourth dimension look like? I can't even fathom it.\"",
  "summary": "Sounds can sometimes interrupt Andrew’s thoughts, but he sees synaesthesia as an inseparable part of his life.",
  "key_points": [
    "British artist Jake Andrew experiences music as colors and shapes due to synaesthesia.",
    "Andrew painted live cello performance at London's Handbag Factory in September.",
    "Synaesthesia allows Andrew to visualize sounds in vivid, unconventional ways."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}