Philip Barlow has created a series of oil paintings that show exactly how a short-sighted person sees.
At first glance they look like blurred photographs. They are in fact hyperrealist paintings — and the blur is intentional. Barlow, a South African artist from Cape Town, is short-sighted. And he decided to show the rest of the world what it means to take off your glasses and look.
The result is unsettling in its precision.
What myopia is
Myopia is the most common refractive error in the world. It occurs when the eyeball is too long — or when the cornea and lens have an irregular shape — and the image forms in front of the retina instead of directly on it. The result is blurred distance vision, while up close you see perfectly.
It is often hereditary. If both parents are short-sighted, the risk for their children increases significantly. But the precise causes are still partly unknown.
It usually appears between the ages of 6 and 8. And it is almost always the parents who notice first.
How to tell if your child can't see well
Children don't know they can't see well. They have nothing to compare it with. They simply adapt — moving closer to the screen, squinting, sitting in the front row without knowing why.
These are the signs to watch for: squinting at the board or the TV, sitting very close to the screen, holding books very close to the face, avoiding sports that need distance vision, always sitting in the front rows at school.
If you recognise one or more of these behaviours, the first step isn't buying glasses. It's understanding what is going on.
Why time outdoors matters
One of the best-documented protective factors against the progression of myopia is simple: being outside.
Not because of the exercise itself, but for two precise reasons. The first is that outdoors the eyes are constantly prompted to focus on distant objects — training the eye muscles. The second is exposure to natural light, which according to several studies reduces the risk of children developing myopia.
Two hours a day outdoors is the threshold many studies point to as protective. It isn't much. Yet for most school-age children it is hard to reach.
Progression is the real problem
Myopia is not static. It gets worse — especially during childhood and adolescence. And the more severe it becomes, the higher the risk of serious long-term complications: early cataract, glaucoma, retinal detachment.
This isn't about raising alarm. It's about understanding that acting early — with an approach aimed at managing progression, not just correcting it — makes a real difference to eye health in the years ahead.
What we do at Barriqule
At Barriqule we follow an evidence-based myopia management protocol. The goal is not only to correct vision — it is to slow progression, reduce the risk of complications and protect eye health over time.
If your child is showing the first signs, or if their prescription has increased in the last year, now is the right time to talk about it.