An Artist Named Concetta Antico Can See 100 Million Colors (100 Times More Than You)

A genetic mutation allows this artist to see nuances in color that most of us can not.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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When you make colorful art for a living, having a genetic mutation that allows you to see more colors can only be a good thing. Concetta Antico calls herself the "world's first tetrachromat artist," a term that refers to people who have more receptors in their eyes than normal. According to Popular Science, the brains of tetrachromats "are wired the same way as a person with normal vision," but Antico has been able train her brain to "pay attention."

Antico paints impressionist style art so the way she perceives colors comes in handy. In describing a green leaf, she says that "around the edge I’ll see orange or red or purple in the shadow; you might see dark green but I’ll see violet, turquoise, blue." Only 1% of the world's population are believed to be tetrachromats, and researchers still don't fully understand the mutation. ​

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Antico is involved in the research and shares links and studies on her website because her tetrachromacy has affected her daughter's vision. "I didn’t think it had anything to do with me, but she’s colorblind because of me," she told Popular Science. Through her art and lessons, she hopes to someday open a school for other color blind children and to help researchers "define tetrachromatism." 

To read more about Antico's story, head over to Popular Science and check out ConcettaAntico.com.

[via Popular Science]

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