They are not Claude Monet's Water Lilies or Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers. They are not even paintings by rising indigenous artists. But the pictures exhibited at the National Agricultural Exhibition Center, Beijing, from September 15 to 18, drew many visitors who were curious to see the blended colors and delicate curves representing the inner world of children labeled as autistic.

The khaki giraffe, purple mountains and heart-shaped flowers were created instinctively, by children following no aesthetic rules, and with no professional training. "They are pure artists, with no realistic consideration, nor dexterous painting skills," said Carol Han, director of c.Na Gallery, the holder of the exhibition.

The pictures of autistic children are exhibited in the National Agricultural Exhibition Center, Beijing, from September 15 to 18, 2011. [China.org.cn]

Rules and formats are beyond the understanding of most autistic children. Such children tend to be solitary, unsociable, and can become easily agitated. Furthermore, they are often diagnosed as being mentally retarded and labeled incurable.

It’s difficult for parents in China, who often experience a deep sense of desperation when they discover that autism is the reason why their children are different. It is like an ominous prophecy, foretelling a hopeless future, full of marginalization and discrimination. Autistic people are difficult to live with, hard to educate and are often incapable of making a living in adulthood. However, in the midst of this nightmare, a group of domestic psychiatrists and social workers discovered a different perspective on autistic children.

"The words artistic and autistic are only one letter different. So why shouldn’t we assume there are some connections between them?" said Rika Ishihara, a Japanese-Chinese working as Director of the Beijing Rehabilitation Association of Autistic Children (BRAAC), China's first association for autistic children, which was established in 1993.

The idea of autistic children as artists wouldn’t be unusual in many developed countries. But in China, such artistic dreams are a luxury beyond imagination when tortured parents are taking pains to equip their autistic children with survival abilities in the hope that they may encounter less misunderstanding, humiliation and desperation.

So when Ishihara introduced her painting club for autistic children in 2009 under the name of BRAAC, the response couldn't have been more lukewarm. "Parents questioned why they should waste time on useless paintings when their children are incapable of even the most basic survival skills," remembered Ishihara. "However, those parents may not be aware that their autistic children, who are otherwise disabled, might be sensitive to the visual world."

 

As an artist who graduated from the Academy of Arts and Design, Tsinghua University, 30-year-old Ishihara knew nothing about autism when she first took the job to campaign for autistic children. "I am just a painter, charity is not my profession," she said.

 

But after she set up a number of relevant websites and began communicating with the children, she decided to dedicate herself to the cause. Being Japanese-Chinese has, Ishihara says, taught her to appreciate how cultural differences can make one feel like an outsider. "Those autistic children should be treated with equal dignity and respect," she said.

With this goal in mind, Ishihara and her colleagues started their project. She didn't push the children too much at first when introducing them to the new world of painting. "I have always found that autistic children always hate to be pushed or tricked into doing something, they are strongly rebellious," she said. In the beginning, Ishihara painted alone, ignoring the lack of response from the children. Gradually, though, after she had painted a number of pieces, a child approached her, possibly driven by strong curiosity. The child started to imitate Ishihara, first painting a picture of flower, and then a picture of the sun.

After several weeks, the child was able to draw hundreds of pictures and would even murmur to Ishihara that the sky was a serene blue. "We would like to be raindrops and air, which make the seeds grow but remain invisible," said Ishihara, recalling the child's words. The BRAAC held its first exhibition of the autistic children's works on April 2, 2008—the first World Autism Awareness Day. Since then, painting exhibitions of autistic children's works have become more and more regular, and their influence is spreading. Ishihara even plans to produce some animations based on the creations of her autistic artists. "They are not family burdens; I’ll make them believe that they can benefit society and live and work like other people."

Although the dreams are as beautiful as the imaginative paintings, the reality is harsh. The issue of autism has long been ignored in China, and, as a result, autistic children may find that there are few jobs waiting for them when they grow up. Moreover, when they reach adulthood, there will be few rehabilitation centers to provide the necessary ongoing care. Jiang Meixiang, a psychiatrist at No.6 Hospital of Peking University put the problem succinctly: "How could a female nurse to tackle with a male autistic adult when the patient is much stronger than her? And if we set up a rehabilitation center for adults, the costs will be high."

 

Ishihara also realizes that the future has no clear-cut answers: "The solution may simply lie in the wits of parents. It’s a puzzle with no certain answers, the only way is to trust your own wisdom and work it out."

 BRAAC Website:  www.aart.org.cn

Email: yecaoff@hotmail.com

Contact: MP: 133-660-577-88 (Rika Ishihara)