Young artist with autism expresses emotion in his work
May 9th, 2008
From the Seattle Times:
Wil Kerner (left) builds elaborate and expressive artwork using construction paper and scissors.
What the autistic 12-year-old can’t express verbally or in social interaction he can show through his carefully cut out geometric shapes assembled into characters in a paper collage, a talent the staff at Seattle’s Harborview Medical Center calls a rare artistic gift. Large red circles become heads, delicate strips of fringed white paper become hair, and finely cut arches are shaped into eyebrows.
The art — and the artist — intrigues those who study autism. Dr. Stephen Dager, interim director of the University of Washington’s Autism Center, who has been studying brain anatomy and chemistry in autism, is mystified by Wil’s artistic talents. Autistic people generally pay little attention to eyes during social interaction, studies show, and usually are unaware of others’ emotions. Yet, Wil has the ability to mimic human emotion through his art.
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on Friday, May 9th, 2008 at 10:04 am and is filed under arts/music, autism, general news, personal stories, success stories.
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