Art is a language that can be spoken by all souls within the universe. It is not a language defined by words, grammar, or syntax. Rather, it is characterized by the emotional vibrations and energy of the artist. It exists in the realm of every individual’s soul. It is for this reason that children in earnest have the potential to make the most riveting artwork. Their charm, their innocence, their lack of self-consciousness and complete disregard for the norm that adults subscribe to as a result of social indoctrination does not affect their mindset or creativity. Instead, they are driven by pure and authentic self-expression.
GIFTED Save for the awkward signature at the bottom of the painting, most would not assume that these pieces were made by children with autism.
Championing all children’s right for self-expression led to the establishment of the Special Achievers, an organization that unleashes the creative powers of children with autism. Established in 2013 by occupational therapists Karen Ann Navarro, Dianna Cristine Salonga, Entezar Abdulwahid, and speech therapist Danielle Joanne C. Raymundo, the organization is a labor of love by the founders, all of whom have been working with children with special needs for more than a decade.
Special Achievers’ aims to encourage children diagnosed with autism to go beyond their disability. Observing how their students would thrive during sessions in arts, crafts, and drawing, and how such work greatly increased their attention span, led to the development of their programs dedicated to further refining kid’s artistic ability and using it at as platform for self-expression.
Consequently, finding their work to be rich, vibrant, textured, and striking for its fresh sincerity, they showcased the work to the delight of the public. As an organization that aspires for inclusion, the founders encourage the participation of a wide range of differently abled children, particularly those with limited resources.
“Most of our visual artists have difficulty communicating verbally but they express themselves articulately through their art. We observe that they are very happy when they do what they love. Even if they don’t excel in it, it gives them a better sense of self. When people acknowledge how amazing they are when we show them their works—that makes all our effort worth it,” says Karen.
Operating on little more than the steadfast commitment of its founders and volunteers, the organization continues to celebrate the immense skill of these children. With currently 20 young children under the program, the gifted artists continue to surprise their mentors in new ways every day. For John Stanley Catacutan, occupational therapist and art mentor, their development continues to astound him.
Miggy is one example of raw talent, creating striking visual pieces that show an impressive grasp of the narrative of color and composition for such a young soul. Drawn to abstractions and reveling in the freedom of the genre’s creative process, he prefers unrestricted strokes and utilizing all and any material from paintbrushes, painting knives, foam and sponges, up to his bare hands and fingers. Greican shares his unique treatment of flags, landmarks, and monuments of different countries and transforming them into line art by injecting his own twist framed by his particular perspective of space. Jake favors the use of pencil, pen and crayons, using his distinct command of color, shading and approach to share his fascination with both realistic and fantasy animals, all of which take on life-like quality. Andrei, on the other hand, combines unlikely elements, opting to fuse pop culture icons with classic paintings, evident in his work Snoopy Meets Van Gogh, wherein the beloved cartoon finds his place amid the Dutch post-impressionist’s The Starry Night.
“You sense a different vibe when you look at their work,” adds Karen, “Art helps them express who they are and what they feel. It allows people to see how they perceive the world.”
Save for the awkward signature at the bottom of the painting, most would not assume that these pieces were made by children with autism. Indeed, the significance of the program aside from utilizing art as a means of cultivating their talent and social skills, is to celebrate their unique abilities and remind the public of how art and creation is an innate human right, universally binding all beings regardless of age, race, or any labels of disability.
SOURCE: Manila Bulletin - 21 NOV 2016
