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Congratulations to the winners of the AIDE Canada Autism and ID Arts Showcase. Thank you everyone who shared their thoughts and feelings through art to help inform the national autism strategy.
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Happiness
Social Inclusion
Description: Life is full of happiness so Enjoy every moment because you get it once.
Artist Bio: "My son name is Mustafa khan he is 4 year old and i submitted his kindergarten art picture. He ia a lovely child . Hes very Much obsessed with numbers letters and other language writting skills. Hes very creative he love colours and drawings on tablets. He loves perfection. His teachers and peers loves him for his extra acedamic level."
Acceptance of Neurodiversity
Diversity
Description: The handprints in different colours portrays the spectrum of autism and neurodiversity. The tree symbolizes growing awareness and acceptance of neurodiversity, looking at the ability and not the disability.
Artist Bio:: Seyon is a grade 3, 8 year old student with autism who has a very huge passion for the Arts and Sciences. He resides in Toronto and is working really hard to fulfill his goals with the help of his family and is trying to spread awareness on his behalf to show that inclusion is very important in schools and in the workplace. He believes that they also have a right just like everyone else to be successful and be productive members of society if opportunity is given to them.
The Feeling of Paint
Winner: Diversity
Description: It took Owen (who is 3) 2 years to be able to touch paint. He used to cry and panic when touching messy textures. This painting is a reminder to us that although it may take longer for Owen to learn how to do things, it doesn't mean that he will not ultimately enjoy them! Now, Owen loves the feeling of paint and as someone who is non-verbal, can express himself by choosing what colours to use and deciding when he is done. This painting took Owen 5 mins (which is the longest he has ever sat still). For Owen, this painting is not about the final product but the process of learning to feel the paint!
Artist Bio:Owen likes watching trees, branches and leaves move in the wind and he loves feeling of plants. He likes looking at shadows, reflections and lights. He likes all things that spins, music, turning pages of books, movement, tickles, and Peppa Pig. He likes to eat cottage cheese, dates, bananas, cashews and tomatoes. His favourite activities are swimming, going for walks, admiring cars, running, hanging upside down, sitting on the stairs, people that play with him, painting and doing anything outside. Owen doesn’t like stopping at crosswalks, taking different walking or driving routes, and transitions. He also doesn’t like loud jarring sounds, closed doors, cold or hot foods, and competing with his brother for attention. He doesn’t like new foods, messy textures, sleeping with blankets and organized, tidy rooms.
We all belong
Social Inclusion
Description: As many different butterflies in the sky we maybe different but we belong. I usually express my feelings and message in my paintings and it has encouraged many, as I have mild autism but it doesn't stop me expressing my thoughts and ideas to the world. I have entered to a Easter seal contest in April 2020 and won the first place in the age 11-14 category with a prize. I also was selected in 2021 for the TDSB Toronto D12 winner for the category B-3 visual non credit for the painting I submitted called "My COVID song" painting. In 2020 I published a book called Encouragement Scripture paintings by Daniel Ekanayake. I am a musician, Painter and an Artist.
Artist Bio:My name is Daniel Ekanayake I am a student at Woburn High school, I am 15 years old, I first started painting March 2020 as I attended a painting class by TLC Arts and Skills held at our church. I have tried so many paintings and I have now more than 250 pieces of paintings, I use acrylic, oil pastel and watercolour paints. I have a Facebook page created by the name of Bible stories and I have a blog with some of my paintings on bloggers.com under Paintings for Encouragement by Daniel Ekanayake and I have a YouTube channel under my name which has some videos of me painting called Kids Art by Daniel E.
Social Internet Love
Social Inclusion
Description: You can have friendships ,relationships and social interactions safely. Even though we live far apart we can be there for each other.
Artist Bio:I am fifteen years old and I have Autism and intellectual disability. I live in Calgary and attend high school. I enjoy drawing super hero’s, fictional characters, and drawing what I see in my day. If I could do anything in my day, I choose to draw. I like to be creative and enjoy attending movie project at a local program. My dream is to be a comic book artist.
Building inclusion “we all belong”
Social Inclusion
Description: Building social inclusion creates acceptance, relationships, and opportunities and gives everyone a chance to show how we are all different and it great to be different. We all belong.
Artist Bio:"My name is Luc Cormier and I am 15 years old. I live in Nova Scotia with my mom and my dad, my sister Lexie and my 2 cats, Daisy and Violet. I love art and over the last few years been attending the Autism Arts Program through Autism Nova Scotia. I love learning about all the artist in school too. This past summer, our family went to Van Gogh at the Halifax Exhibition Center. It was incredible.
Cheerleader Star Power
Social Inclusion
Description: Michelle is a dancer and is fascinated with Cheerleading. Her dream is to be on a cheerleading team one day. As a person with Autism, Michelle faces some challenges on the way to fulfilling her dream, such as sensitivity to some sounds and difficulties with social skills. She, nevertheless, is determined to work on her challenges so she can be a real cheerleader one day. Meanwhile, she puts some of her energy and creativity into her artwork, where cheerleaders are one of the favourite subjects! Michelle also wants to be an artist - another goal that is a strong and healthy motivating force in her life.
Artist Bio:Michelle loves dancing, is interested in sports, and enjoys holiday lights. Thus, cheerleaders performing at brightly lit night stadiums are one of her favorite drawing subjects. It is also her inspiration to overcome some of the challenges brought by Autism, such as sensitivity to loud noises and crowds, and to be able to visit, enjoy, and participate in sports events and big festivals in the future.
Scorpican
Diversity
Description: There are so many different types of Autism, some people are insanely artistically inclined, while others may not be, and thats okay! This sculpture took me days of planning because of my perfectionism, but I wanted to show what I managed to come up with when given such a broad task to create something from garbage.
Artist Bio:"I am an 18 y/o self taught artist from Peterborough, I work with digital art, traditional art, photography, and I have worked on my fair share of sculptures as well. Since I was a child art was always a big special interest for me that just built over time, luckily I stayed into it. I loved to create, and I still love to create. I went to PACE in Peterborough, and learned the most from the art teacher there, Jeff Stover."
World Artists
Diversity
Description: Not everyone can be a great artist but a great artist can come from anywhere!
Artist Bio:Samantha is a 20 year old from Ottawa, Ontario. She won 2 Creative Arts awards in High School. Her interests are in animation and comic book creation and writing.
Three Falls
Winner: Diagnosis and Supports
Description:Raymund is fascinated with flowing water. He loves looking at waterfalls. Flowing water doesn't have any direction. It flows in different channels. Not having an early diagnosis and support leaves a person with autism to just go with the flow and not have any guidance and direction to improve and maximize his potential.
Artist Bio:Raymund just turned 21 yrs. old and lives with his family in Barrie. He was diagnosed late and was non verbal until five years old, just mostly echolalia. Because of his late diagnosis, he did not get ABA support to help with his development. He loves to paint and experiment with colors and shades. We supported his passion for painting and created a website to showcase his artworks. Check out his website to learn more about Raymund - pureartimpressions.com. Though, we haven't had the chance to upload his new paintings.
Emotionally draining
Social Inclusion
Description:"My drawing was about how so many colours can represent so many emotions and sometimes so many different feelings can make someone not not how to feel as if they are "Emotionally Drowning""
Artist Bio:"I am living in Grand Forks British Columbia and have my mom, stepdad, and little brother here too. About a year and a half ago I had brain surgery for a very bad seizure disorder and it changed my life. One of my very best friends is my dog I got last year. She has helped me through so much. I work at a ski hill called phoenix mountain, and have been volunteering at an elementary school as an education assistant. My drawing was about how so many colours can represent so many emotions and sometimes so many different feelings can make someone not not how to feel as if they are "Emotionally Drowning"
Hyperfixation
Diagnosis and Supports
Description:The story behind the video and the inspiration was the feeling of hyper-fixation and how it personally feels when I get hyper-fixated on something. Hyperfixation is only experienced by people who are neurodivergent and it's an overwhelming feeling. It feels all-consuming and you feel everything at once, latching onto the one thing you are hyper fixated on, you can't just stop feeling that way and you try to consume any and all content relating to it until you just stop and you feel nothing and it feels like you have been drained. Before I had gotten diagnosed I had dealt with many setbacks. I made this piece when I felt set back by things like hyper fixation, overstimulation and so on. But I don't think I would find art the way I did, I use it as an escape as a way to express myself. Animation is to transform, collapse and change it resonates with me deeper then anything.
Artist Bio:"I am a queer and disabled 23 years old and currently living in Canada. I graduated with a Foundation Visual Arts Certificate and honours diploma in Graphic Design, as well as continuing schooling at Seneca college for an Animation Bachelor's, started September 2022."" "
Coexist
Diversity
Description:"I've always felt like an alien on a star-ship shaped like a giant orb. We're all hurtling through space together, we're a speck in the grand scheme of the cosmos, but we all have gifts that help us co-pilot and coexist. Be the fungus, plant, human, insect or mammal, we're all in this together."
Artist Bio:30, Saskatoon SK, A full-time artist with Bi-polar spectrum disorder, ADHD, and BPD. She/They have been an artist their whole life and is currently working on their first comic!
Reign on fire
Winner: Economic Inclusion
Description:"I am the artist and is a reflection of seeing my problems growing"
Artist Bio:"I am a 50 years old woman who suffer from depression because I have a medical condition called cowden syndrome. I passed out to my youngest he have a lot going on hydrocephalus and chiari also a tumor on his brain. I also have my oldest son who have aspergers and he had apply for work but he doesn't have social skills and have also a bit of anxiety."
Wild Halloween
Winner: Social Inclusion
Description:Benjamin loves Halloween but as a 20 year old man, he sometimes gets comments and looks when he goes trick or treating. His differences because of his autism also make him stand out at times. Everyone should be allowed to participate in activities they love. In recent years, Benjamin goes trick or treating with a group of neurodivergent young adults and their circles of support . Being together with others who accept and support people with disabilities is fun and meaningful. It makes Benjamin feel included. Wild Halloween is about being different but happy and included.
Artist Bio:Benjamin is a 20 years old autistic artist, author and illustrator of children picture books. He was born, raised and lives in the Laurentians (Mirabel) of Quebec. He paints, sculpts and writes stories about animals (his passion).