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Artist Uses the Power of Sound to Turn Sand Into Mesmerizing Patterns

Kanazawa Kenichi— Sound's ability to bring order out of chaos from r/BeAmazed

Do you know what sound looks like? Japanese artist Kenichi Kanazawa makes the invisible visible. He studies cymatics—the art of visualizing sound vibration—by experimenting with sand on a steel tabletop. In a recent video posted on Twitter, Kanazawa is captured creating “a visual demonstration of the power of sound to create order out of chaos.”

Kanazawa starts by sprinkling white sand on the tabletop, before using a small mallet to rub the metal surface to create sound vibrations. Just like magic, the sand starts to move and a geometric pattern starts to take shape. He then picks up a larger mallet that produces lower vibrations, and the pattern begins to change. A third mallet changes the course of the sand yet again, creating a final star-like motif from grains of sand.

Originally a sculptor by trade, Kanazawa began experimenting with steel and sound in 1987 after collaborating with the late sound artist Hiroshi Yoshimura. Today, he continues to explore the fascinating possibilities of cymatics with colorful sand, steel, and mallets.

Check out Kanazawa’s cymatics demonstrations below.

Cymatics artist Kenichi Kanazawa visualizes sound vibrations with sand, a steel table, and mallets.

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Emma Taggart

Emma Taggart is a Staff Writer and Video Editor at My Modern Met. She earned a BA in Fashion and Textile Design at the University of Ulster in Belfast. Originally from Northern Ireland, she lived in Berlin for many years, where she fostered a career in the arts, dabbling in everything from illustration and animation to music and ceramics. She now calls Edinburgh home, where she continues to work as a writer, illustrator, and ceramicist. Her ceramics, often combined with hand-painted animation frames, capture playful scenes that celebrate freedom and movement, and blend her passion for art with storytelling. Her illustrations have been featured in The Berliner Magazine as well as other print magazines and a poetry book.
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