Silas Ng | Music in My Eyes

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Silas Ng, “ The Rumbling of Wave,” from the “Music in My Eyes,” series, 2020

inkjet print on vinyl. )courtesy of the Artist)

The perception of music is a deeply personal experience, as sound and visual information come together to resonate in the body. Music in My Eyes (2020–) by Vancouver-based artist Silas Ng captures the artist’s connection to music through movement and vibration. Working from his experience as a Deaf person, Ng uses high-contrast black-and-white images to foreground his embodied awareness of sound. The artist has been fascinated with classical music since childhood. He photographs the performance of quick, energetic gestures and the long draw of the bow across the strings. Furthering this personal connection, Ng enlists his brother – an accomplished musician – as the subject. In his photographs, he captures the visual expression of J. S. Bach’s moving Suite No. 2 performed on the cello, trumpet, and violin to reveal how sound is a multisensory experience.

For Music in My Eyes, Ng translates a time-based medium into still images by employing long-exposure photography techniques to evoke the feeling of music. The visuals reinforce that sound is not solely experienced through auditory means. In a world that privileges the able-bodied experience, this work celebrates the artist’s unique understanding of music as one perspective among many across the diverse Deaf community. Ng’s mesmerizing photographs become a visual portal into the sensation of music, encouraging viewers to recall their own memories associated with sound and performance.