‘Autismo 25’ is a body of mixed media works on paper. The work is a continuation of the ‘On a Spectrum – an exploration of Asperger’s syndrome’ collection and highlights my continued reflections and journaling of my autism diagnosis and perceptions around this.

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The collection uses the Spanish word for autism; ‘autismo’, as it was created while taking part in Hannacc artist residency in Spain, but also acts as a reminder that autism is a global condition and something that affects people regardless of where we are in the world.

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The work was heavily influenced by Catalonian artists that I read and learnt about whilst in residency in rural Barcelona, as well as by works from Miró, Picasso and Tàpies, whose art I visited in person. Basquiat was also an artist of great interest to me at that time.  

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I used autistic traits that I struggle with as a starting point for the work. This ranged from challenges around communication, the continual feeling of overwhelm, sensory overload and more. I felt very raw and exposed as I worked away on this collection, and this was reflected in the heavy mark-making and limited palette used. 

Each piece is framed, but with the glass removed from the front. This is to enable each piece to ‘breath’ and to allow the textures to show through clearly. There was also a metaphorical sense of wanting my autistic experiences to be validated and clear for all to see. For they are real and should not be covered up by anything.