Colours shape the way we perceive the world. For me, this experience goes beyond the ordinary – I’m a synesthete!

I stumbled upon this mind-bending condition by chance, thanks to a documentary I watched sometime ago. Before that, I had no idea about synaesthesia or that I was living with it.

I have the common form called grapheme-colour synaesthesia. In my mind, letters, numbers, names, and places have inherent and consistent colours, whereas people I know have a unique colour palette, like a fingerprint in the regular world.

Consider my husband’s name, Alan. The letters ‘A’ and ‘N’ are draped in icy and deep blue hues, while ‘L’ radiates a sunny yellow. So, when I think or hear the name Alan, these colours vividly materialize in my mind. Yet, when I’m picturing him as a person a fusion of sunflower yellow, green-browns, white, and hints of blue dance in my mental canvas.

I also have a friend named Alan. He has different colours linked to him and his personality, but the name Alan in my head is always icy blue, sunny yellow, deep blue, icy blue.

 I explore these colour associations through my art. I usually start with dominant two or three colours that are connected with an idea, and push them to convey full kaleidoscopic range I see in my mind. To evoke a sense of flow and organic energy I tend to apply paint on surface with unstructured, fluid movements using the tips of my fingers instead of a brush. Often, I will blend this distinctive perception of colours with diverse materials to further enrich texture and the expression of my art.

 This creative process results in bold and colourful works, with which I aim to draw in the viewer and share how I see the world, leaving them, I hope, with a lasting burst of positive energy.

 I’m lucky. For me, synaesthesia is a gift. It colours my world and inspires my work where is serves a starting point, occasionally a destination, often a disruption and always a joy.

I hope my art gives you the same pleasure it gives me.

Gera x