Why did David Bowie’s eyes appear to be different colours?
Dr Kevin Hunt, a senior lecturer culture and context in the Nottingham School of Art & Design, explains the story as to why David Bowie's eyes were different
By Dr Kevin Hunt | Published on 29 September 2026
Categories: Press office; Research; School of Art & Design;
What you need to know:
- David Bowie did not have two different-coloured eyes. His unusual appearance was caused by anisocoria, where the pupils are different sizes
- His left pupil remained permanently dilated, making that eye appear darker because more of the black pupil was visible
- The condition resulted from an eye injury Bowie sustained in 1962, when he was 15, after being punched in the left eye
- Bowie made the distinctive appearance part of his visual identity, with his unusual eyes becoming a recognisable feature in his photographs, album artwork and performances
David Bowie was known for his distinctive appearance, including eyes that appeared to be different colours.
But Bowie did not have two differently coloured irises. The effect was caused by anisocoria, a condition in which the pupils are different sizes.
In Bowie’s case, the pupil of his left eye remained permanently dilated. This meant the pupil did not respond normally to changes in light, while the pupil in his right eye did.
As a result, his left eye could appear much darker than his right, creating the impression that he had different-coloured eyes.
What is anisocoria?
Anisocoria simply means that a person’s pupils are unequal in size. It can have several causes, including injury or conditions affecting the nerves or muscles that control the pupil.
This is different from heterochromia, in which the irises themselves are different colours.
Bowie’s distinctive appearance was therefore not caused by heterochromia. The difference came from the size of his pupils and the way light interacted with his eyes.
A permanently dilated pupil can make an eye appear darker because more of the black pupil is visible against the coloured iris.
It can also make the eye more susceptible to the photographic “red-eye” effect. This happens when light enters through an open pupil, reflects from the back of the eye and picks up the red colour of blood vessels in the tissue there.
The effect can be seen in photographs of Bowie, including the 1973 image taken by photographer Brian Duffy for the Aladdin Sane series.
How did Bowie injure his eye?
Bowie’s anisocoria is widely attributed to an incident in 1962, when he was 15.
According to accounts from Bowie and his friend George Underwood, the two teenagers fought after both became interested in the same girl. Underwood punched Bowie in the left eye, seriously injuring it.
The injury damaged the muscles controlling the iris and left Bowie with a permanently dilated pupil.
The two remained friends, and Underwood later became an artist and graphic designer. He went on to work on several of Bowie’s projects, including album artwork.
How did the injury become part of Bowie’s image?
The injury became an unmistakable part of Bowie’s appearance.
His eyes featured prominently in photographs, album artwork and promotional material throughout his career. The unusual appearance of his left eye also complemented the characters and themes that became associated with Bowie, from the alien Ziggy Stardust to the outsider figure in The Man Who Fell to Earth.
Rather than hiding the difference, Bowie incorporated it into his visual identity.
His eyes therefore became more than a medical curiosity. They were part of the distinctive image that helped make Bowie recognisable on stage, on screen and in photographs.
The story is a reminder that an injury can have consequences far beyond its medical effects. In Bowie’s case, a damaged pupil became one of the most recognisable features of one of popular music’s most visually distinctive performers.
Dr Kevin J. Hunt is Senior Lecturer in Culture & Context. His expertise in media and film theory and research into culture and the senses draws significantly upon the philosophy of Michel Serres, including winning the 2023 Film-Philosophy annual article award for 'Michel Serres, Topology and Folded Time in Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk'. As part of his research, he writes about film, photography, painting, fashion and textile design as intersensory experiences and practices. His interests include mediality and the mediation of knowledge through bodily experiences and the lived environment, including how the body is affected by, and intersects with, technology and science.