Colour Blind Tests:
Pseudo-Isochromatic Plates

Colour Blind Tests reimagin Shinobu Ishihara’s 1917 colour vision tests as contemplative art objects, transforming scientific tools into meditations on perception, limitation, and adaptation. Through meticulously rendered archival prints that replicate Ishihara’s Pseudo-Isochromatic Plates, Inouye challenges viewers to consider the fragility and subjectivity of vision—not just in a physiological sense, but as a metaphor for how we navigate unseen boundaries and internalize bias. The series bridges the gap between art and science, inviting introspection into the ways we perceive and misperceive the world.

Positioned within Inouye’s broader practice—alongside works like Blots and Reflective Quality—Colour Blind deepens his ongoing investigation into perception, memory, and identity. Resonating with the perceptual inquiries of Olafur Eliasson and James Turrell, the series aligns with contemporary discourses on the art-science continuum. Inouye uses precision, metaphor, and historical reference to unsettle certainty, encouraging viewers to reexamine their assumptions and recognize the inherent complexity of seeing clearly in an increasingly fragmented world.