A painting (‘Victory’) by Autistic artist J.A. Tan is currently featured on a UN postage stamp as part of the United Nations Postal Administration’s Autism Awareness Campaign. J.A. (now 25-years-old) grew up in The Philipines but moved to Vancouver, Canada to attend Emily Carr University. He has since completed a Degree in Fine Arts there…
…In his own words, J.A. states, “Art is an integral part of my existence as each work represents a personal journey of me with me, and me with the world. Creating art pieces brings me a feeling of peace and happiness since the world around me becomes clearer through the visual pictures I paint and draw. I paint to bring out my thoughts, feelings, and ideas and use my art to understand the world we live in. Through the colors and textures I use and the shapes I paint and draw, I communicate without having to use words.”
As a child with autism, J.A. spoke in complete sentences only when he was five years old. Thus he resorted to drawing what he wanted to express. He found comfort in his pencils, papers, crayons, and books when other children his age went out to play with toys and other children. J.A. spends his free time writing stories, swimming, and practicing Taekwondo…
Asked what inspires and directs his art practice, J.A. says: “I work on my paintings the same way I work at life. I paint from small images and ideas and build up to a unified whole. As in my life, I learn in small steps and take in as much details and information as I can. I then put these all together into a whole piece that makes it possible for me to integrate myself into the world that everyone else perceives. I live and work in this same world; but it is seen in a different perspective by me and my autistic mind.”
This is echoed by Vancouver-based curator, scholar, and educator Mr.Rajdeep Singh Gill, when he describes J.A’s art as one that has “moved and inspired (him), stirred by Tan’s sensitivity and connection to his rich internal worlds and acute observations of society… soulfully capturing a rich palette of feelings, experiences, and realities.”
Similarly, after seeing a few of J.A.'s works hanging on the walls of his home and eventually purchasing a drawing from off his bedroom wall, well-renowned Filipino engineer, builder, and art lover Pabling Calma says that J.A. Tan’s works “show his excellent talent; and it is in that sense that he is different from us. His self-portraits show his desire for us to know him more. For every brush stroke is silence. His works resonate the movement of the world through his eyes.”
Some of JA’s work can be viewed here:Art of JA Tan J.A. Tan’s art to grace United Nations autism stamps | Vancouver, Canada | Straight.com
(source: Visions of J.A. Tan’s world, piece by piece - The Philippine Star ? Lifestyle Features ? Arts and Culture )