Notes of colours
I grew up surrounded by music.
With a pianist mother and an electroacoustic composer father, my childhood was filled with melodies and sounds, the fruit of their daily practice and experimentation.
But surprisingly, I don’t remember listening to a lot of music. Instead, I recall a more encompassing sensation, being immersed in an abstract soundscape.
This may be because my parents encouraged me to truly listen; to focus on the sounds themselves and the feelings they evoked. Is it forte? Is it piano? Does it sound funny, sad, or comforting? I loved letting my imagination run free, creating countless stories while listening.
I also played piano myself, but eventually realised I was a better listener than a player. Still, music, and sound in general, continues to hold an important place in my life. It’s not unusual for me to be moved to tears by a melody or a sequence of notes, touched by their sheer beauty.
Although I didn’t pursue a career in music, I recently realised how deeply it has influenced me, particularly in my approach to design. Like sounds, colours are abstract elements with tones, nuances, and intensities. When you combine them, you create a composition and from it, a new story emerges.
Today, I believe that both sound and colour are essential tools in design. In a world that can feels hectic or uncertain, their abstract nature invites quiet self-reflection. They allow space for personal interpretation, gently reconnecting us to our emotions, memories, and physical sensations.
To share this feeling with you, I’ve created a playlist that reflects nuku's quiet and warm atmosphere.
Please enjoy listening to these colours.
Featuring artists from around the world including Hania Rani, Chin Sooyoung, H Hunt, Yoko Kikuchi, Nils Frahm, and Yumiko Morioka.
The playlist will continue to grow slowly, over time…
Text and images by Elisa Defossez Kikuchi
