Seeing without sight

Pecerception isn't just about seeing.

I've known Hugh for around six years.

We worked together at RNIB. Initially, we were colleagues. Later, I was his manager.

Hugh is blind.

He wasn't born blind. Hugh has retinitis pigmentosa (RP). (And we thought 'multiple sclerosis' was difficult to spell).

Hugh is the same age as me - 36 (in fact I'm older than him by just six days).

Over the course of his 20s, Hugh gradually lost his sight through RP.

As we both have degenerative conditions, Hugh and I have a lot in common.

Hugh has done a lot with his life already. He's a British Gold Medallist in Adaptive Rowing. He's run the London Marathon. He's worked with me and lived to tell the tale.

Hugh is a sonic artist. He creates installations (works of art) in sound.

Although Hugh is unable to see my portraits, I asked him to tell me what he thought about them. In a sense, Hugh's perception of the paintings is more profound than that of anyone else who will see them. Not just because he is blind, but because he knows the subject (me) really well and has had the opportunity to question me about the paintings.

Here are highlights from Hugh's interview: