Sneha Joshi is a 25-year-old artist and curator. She has curated an event called ‘Eye Contact; An Insight into Autism’, which is organised in association with Colours Centre for Learning, a centre for autism in Bengaluru. The event will be held at Rangoli Metro Art Center, MG Road.
Sneha works as an art consultant for Colours Centre for Learning, and says that the event is a “platform to present talents of the students and their works. As an artist, it is my way of look into how society perceives disability. It is also aimed to raise questions like about how disabled people are marginalised in our community. Many are unaware about Autism and because of this there is a lot of misrepresentation. I see ‘Eye Contact; An Insight into Autism’ as a platform to show people their capabilities and remove the stigma attached to it,” explains Sneha, whos show will feature her works along with the works by the students of Colours Centre for Learning.
“We also want to start a conversation about how we need to be more inclusive of autistic people,” adds Sneha was “always inclined towards art and got interested in Autism because as I have a younger brother who is autistic. He is 21 and is brilliant with computers. Some of them are gifted and possess excellent skills in certain areas, which is what we want to share with people through this event,” shares Sneha, who adds, “The artworks of three of the exhibitors was part of a group show titled ‘Outsider Art’, an exhibition of works by individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder which was held at Dravidia Gallery, Fort Kochi. This was supported by the Kochi Biennale Foundation.
Sneha also adds that most of the students have developed their own style of artistic skills, and “you will see their individual styles coming out through their works. April is also Autism Awareness Month and the exhibition aim towards raising awareness for it. The artworks are for sale and funds will go towards the remuneration of artists and the development of an arts training centre for autistic individuals,” smiles the young artist, a graduate from the Central Saint Martins college of Art and Design, University of the Arts London.
The event will be held at Rangoli Metro Art Center, MG Road from April 5 to 7 from 11 am to 7 pm. Entry is free. The event will also include talks, discussions and performances.