The Colours of the Rainbow

“I see trees of green, red roses too... I see skies of blue, clouds of white...” and so goes the song made famous by the unique voice of Louis Armstrong which celebrates the beauty of this world. Now that is the kind of Beauty we all take for granted but which some people cannot see in the same way as we do. And yet, that has not prevented Naoki Nishino – nicknamed Yaidunohannji in Twitter – from painting the most amazing, beautiful and colourful canvas for the pleasure of our eyes.

In fact, Naoki Nishino, a Japanese artist who seems to be fighting for deserved recognition, is colour-blind, a challenge which has not hindered him from the pursuit of his dream as a painter, in spite of the lack of understanding he finds among his fellow citizens. Even the art community seems to have taken advantage of programmes he has developed as a result of his “mild disability” – as colour-blindness is usually classified – without acknowledging him with the due credit.

Nishino now expects to achieve something through a community he has created (see https://5650824.see.me/ ) whose name is, in itself, an outcry for recognition. However, nothing can more efficiently bring him worldwide attention than his art. His canvas are an anthem to joy, a feast to our eyes, a hymn to the colours of Nature, a stunning patchwork of sheer beauty unfolding before our bewildered gaze that can only make us wonder how someone who is colour-blind can produce such harmonious combinations of colours!

Particular attention and stress should be given to the fact that colour-blindness distorts the awareness of colours in a dramatic way which eludes most of us. If we look at the image illustrating the effect the three different kinds of colour blindness have on those who are affected by them, in contrast with the common scope of colours we all see (the first in the picture), then may be we can understand all the effort and the resulting magic produced by the creativity, talent and persistence of Naoki Nishino in the artwork he produces.

And, inescapably, his paintings touch our innermost feelings and may raise questions about how we appreciate – or not – all the Beauty showered upon us by Nature. Do we actually SEE it? Do we really appreciate it? Do we acknowledge the righteous credit to the privilege we have for having been blessed with normal vision?

On the other hand, we cannot but be overwhelmed at Nishino’s skill. His paintings of intense, varied harmonious combinations of colours convey “the colours of the rainbow so pretty in the sky” and make us acknowledge that this is, indeed, a wonderful world.