Abhishek Sarkar: An artist

By Autism Society West Bengal (ASWB) April 2, 2019

Autism is a lifelong developmental disability. It is now referred to as an autism spectrum disorder, or an ASD. The word ‘spectrum’ is used because, while all people with autism share three main areas of difficulty, their condition may affect them in very different ways. The three main areas are referred to as ‘Triad of Impairment.’  The three main areas of impairment are in

1. Communication and Language
2. Social interaction
3. Imagination/Rigidity of thinking

Autism is an incredibly diverse and multifaceted neurotype, a source of human variation as beautiful and complex as eye color or body shape. The struggles and challenges point to the fact that Autism is a neurotype that must be better accommodated and understood by the neurotypical public, rather than destroyed/cured/treated.

But it can be hard to create awareness of autism as it is an ‘invisible’ disability. It cannot be diagnosed from the appearance of the person. Parents of children with autism often say that other people simply think their child is naughty, while adults find that they are misunderstood. People with autism have said that the world to them is a mass of people, places and events which they struggle to make sense of, which can cause them considerable stress and anxiety. Over years several organizations are coming forward for autism awareness. The United Nations has designated 2^nd April as World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD).

Autism Society West Bengal (ASWB) is a parent initiated organisation which started way back in 2002. It was founded by Ms. Indrani Basu, who has two sons with autism. The main aim was to create awareness about autism as well as to focus on intervention techniques. The organization was registered in December 2002 and is located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. ASWB strongly believes that individuals with autism can also participate in society if they are given proper training. They can contribute in areas of education, employment and social events. ASWB is committed to create awareness about autism and also to impart training for empowerment of parents. ASWB runs a school Dikshan for individuals with autism and Aarohan, a pre Vocational Unit.

Autism is commonly, if mistakenly, associated more with logical thinking than creative expression. But new research suggests we might need to rethink our views on creativity and autism.

Abhishek Sarkar’s story:  a creative young man with autism.

Abhishekh Sarkar is 26 year young adult at Aarohan. Fondly he is clled called Abhi. It was observed that Abhi’s art has been a calming influence on him and seems to help him to connect better with the world around him. When Abhi was young he used to tear any paper he could lay his hands on. His parents had to clear huge amount of torn paper every day. It seemed like a futile pass time. One day it was discovered by the person sweeping the floor that Abhi was tearing paper and creating unique shapes.

His figures are very proportionate in size and shape. He creates unique paper tearing of animals, flowers, clouds and anything that catches his fancy. He does not use scissors. He usually tears the figures from memory. Abhi’s fascination for structures like building, bridges, television towers etc are evident in his art work. He has an eye for detail. He draws buildings which he has visited in the past. He also likes to draw vehicles. When Abhishek was younger he used to draw those things that he did not like for example lifts. It seemed that by drawing those things he developed a coping strategy. Over the years Abhishek was evolved as an artist. He had a solo exhibition in ITC Sonar in the year 2015. Abhi’s artwork has featured in many exhibitions in Kolkata and in Delhi.

Abhishek’s creations

Media contact:

Dr. Mitu De
Head of Research and Academic Studies Unit (Hony) & Hony. Secretary,
Autism Society West Bengal (ASWB), 29/1 Stadium Colony, Mukundapur, Kolkata 700099 West Bengal, India Tel: ASWB Office: 8274081576, 9038008536,  Email: [email protected] Visit us at www.autismsocietywb.org Vision: A supportive social environment where persons with Autism are understood and their right to participation is upheld.
&

Associate Professor,
Department of Botany,
Gurudas College,
Kolkata 700054,
West Bengal,
India.