Dearth of avenues for autistic artists

Neurodiverse artists feel working in a community helps build confidence. World Autism Day is on April 2

Building inclusivity among those affected with autism is the need of the hour. And what better way to do it than through art, believe industry experts.

Ahead of World Autism Day on April 2, Metrolife interacted with neurodiverse artists and institutions in the city, to understand how art is being used to encourage differently-abled artists. Last month, Sravani Ramachandran organised an art exhibition featuring 27 differently-abled artists from across the country, at Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath.

“The event was a huge success and it made us realise how uncommon it is for differently-abled artists to be able to display their art. There isn’t really any space like that. This is one of the reasons why I have decided to make the exhibition an annual event,” she tells Metrolife.

Sravani throws light on the prejudice or disregard that people with autism have to face, even in the world of arts.

“A collective effort needs to be put in place to remove this stigma from society. In fact, we should be trying to help promote their talents. That’s the push that is needed,” she says.

For Sridhar Rangarajan, it was his first time displaying his art. “Painting makes me very happy. I usually listen to old music and paint landscape. It is a passion for me,” he explains. He would like to meet more artists like him in Bengaluru.

“Having a community of people who I can relate to would help me further my art,” he says.

Art for a living

While art is often used as a form of therapy, it can be turned into much more, believes Akshayee Shetty, founder, Sense Kaleidoscope, an art school for people with autism. It is based in Kalyan Nagar.

“It is necessary these skills are sharpened, so that individuals can make a living for themselves through art. They no longer have to be dependent on someone,” she says.

Sravani too is of the same opinion. “A piece of art by a person on the spectrum holds so much value and it should be treated that way. At the exhibition, we sold over 50 paintings, which shows if there is a push in the right direction, people from the neurodiverse community can make great artists,” she
adds.

The lack of an inclusive community is holding the artists back, she believes.

‘Pandemic was regressive on the community’

“The pandemic and the lockdown had a regressive impact on individuals who are on the spectrum. These are individuals who constantly need a routine to grow and flourish, the pandemic took that away from them,” says Akshayee. Rajani (name changed), is a mother to an a15-year-old daughter with autism. Last year, she took up an art and therapy course to be able to cater better to the needs of her daughter. “Having to stay at home for one full year had dismantled her social skills and given rise to anxiety issues. I had heard about art therapy and its benefits, so decided we would give it a try. Luckily, it has really helped her handle her anxiety issues,” she tells Metrolife. Pranav Nair, has also found art to calm him down. Fond of colouring, he is a student at Sense Kaleidoscope. “Any time I feel upset or angry I colour or do pottery. It calms me down,” he says.

Kids comic on neurodiversity

The concept of inclusivity should start at a young age, believes Nidhi Mishra, founder and CEO, Bookosmia, a Bengaluru-based publishing company. “Children are curious and ask questions to understand better. They are still free of bias and conditioning and best placed to understand a subject and practice inclusivity,” she adds. The publishing house has recently released a comic, called ‘Not That Different’, to introduce neurodiversity to children.