Elton John Collaborator Jack Coulter on Hearing Colours as a Child
Belfast-born artist Jack Coulter has spoken about growing up with synaesthesia, a rare neurological condition that causes his senses to intertwine, allowing him to “hear” music as colours and shapes, and revealed how the condition became the foundation of a career that has drawn collaborations with music legend Elton John and admirers including Anne Hathaway, Paul McCartney, and Billie Eilish.
Speaking to The Irish Times, Coulter explained that his synaesthesia has shaped his life since early childhood, with one of his earliest memories involving the sound of his own heartbeat resonating as colour when he was very young. He said he initially assumed this was simply a normal part of growing up, having no early awareness that his sensory experience differed from that of others around him.
Coulter, who grew up in Belfast and attended Lagan College, Northern Ireland’s first integrated school, described his upbringing as one shaped by exposure to friends from a wide range of different backgrounds, an experience he said he did not fully appreciate the value of until later in life. He recalled a curriculum that included Irish language lessons, sign language, and Irish sporting traditions, reflecting the school’s inclusive, cross-community approach to education during his formative years.
Reflecting on his working relationship with musicians, Coulter said his role as a painter creates a natural connection with artists, describing his collaboration with Elton John as one of the highlights of his career. He recalled meeting the music icon at his home for their project, spending time getting to know both Elton John and his husband, David Furnish, before beginning the collaborative work itself. Coulter praised Furnish and John’s deep knowledge of Irish musicians, artists, and history, noting that the conversation revealed historical details he had not previously known, and commended the couple for their consistent support of emerging musicians and artists.
Coulter also spoke about his continued connection to Ireland despite splitting his time between London and Belfast, describing a physical sense of ease and familiarity that washes over him whenever he returns home, surrounded by people who share a similar creative and sensory outlook on the world.
Over the course of his career, Coulter’s synaesthesia-driven paintings have attracted a wide range of high-profile admirers and collaborators beyond Elton John, including Anne Hathaway, Coca-Cola, Billie Eilish, Post Malone, Paul McCartney, and the late Patti Smith. He has also worked with major fashion and luxury brands including Chanel, Alexander McQueen, Burberry, Christian Dior, and Calvin Klein, translating each brand’s signature scent onto canvas. Among his most personally significant projects was a collaboration with the late Shane McGowan of The Pogues, another artist who shared synaesthesia, with the pair creating a joint painting inspired by McGowan’s music shortly before his death.
Coulter’s work continues to draw international attention through auctions at Sotheby’s and ongoing collaborations that translate live music and sound into visual art, cementing his reputation as one of the most distinctive artistic voices to emerge from Northern Ireland in recent years.
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