Singaporean artist Jevon Chandra lives with aphantasia, a neurological condition where individuals cannot form mental images. For much of his life, Chandra assumed that when others spoke of seeing images in their minds, it was a figure of speech. He only discovered his aphantasia five years ago through an online test.
The red star test, as seen on online forum Reddit, led to Mr Jevon Chandra's self-discovery of aphantasia. (Photo: Reddit/r/Aphantasia)
Cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Joel Pearson describes aphantasia as the inability to visualize mental imagery. While the term was coined in 2015, the concept was noted as early as the late 1800s. Chandra cannot conjure mental images of familiar faces, places, or meals; instead, he retains memories through sensations and facts.
Despite not possessing a "mind's eye," Chandra thrives as both a foresight analyst and an independent artist. His creative process begins not with a visual concept, but with a feeling. He focuses on the atmosphere and emotional texture he wants to evoke in his audience.
An old picture of Mr Jevon Chandra, one of the many flood-damaged photos from his childhood. (Photo: Jevon Chandra)
Chandra's journey also includes navigating a childhood flood in Jakarta, an event he recalls through physical sensations and factual details rather than visual recall. He also experienced a profound personal loss with the death of an infant brother, a memory he carries through a broader, overwhelming feeling.
His artistic versatility spans visual art, music, and multimedia installations. He believes imagination is the ability to think beyond the present, a process that doesn't always require visuals. For Chandra, abstract and philosophical thoughts are as concrete as visual images are to others.
For his entire life, Mr Jevon Chandra (pictured) has been unable to recall images of the meals he has eaten, the friends he has known or the places he has visited. (Photo: CNA/Raj Nadarajan)
Chandra's path diverged from conventional career expectations, finding inspiration in the arts after a period of feeling disconnected during his structured education. He champions socially engaged art, believing it creates dignity and pride within communities, even in the face of pragmatism.
He has made peace with his aphantasia, viewing his way of thinking as different, not deficient. When asked if he would choose to gain the ability to visualize, he firmly declined, stating, "I've made peace with how I am."
Mr. Jevon Chandra performing live multimedia projections during Songsmith. (Photo: Henzy David, Metronome)
During his National Service years, Mr. Jevon Chandra attended a music festival that got him pondering about the arts. (Photo: CNA/Raj Nadarajan)