Upcoming artistic exhibition in Sanlitun sheds light on autism

To correspond with the upcoming World Autism Awareness Day on April 2, Sanlitun Village, Chaoyang district, is playing host to an exhibition of paintings created by autistic children. Between April 2 and 6, a 150-square-meter tent will be erected outside 3.3 Shopping Center on Sanlitun Bar Street to host the Golden Wing painting exhibition. The highlight of this event is around 100 paintings by 10-year-old children with autism from schools in town.

The contents of the paintings are varied and follow no particular theme. Many are abstract and employ bright colors. Inspiration might have come from some of the masterpieces of the world. For example, the sunflower in a vase painted by Xiao Jingkang is reminiscent of Van Gogh. One painting that is particularly outstanding is by Cheng Cheng. Next to the painting a caption indicates it is of a pretty girl called Wen Jun. The girl is not conventionally pretty, but beauty is of course in the eye of the beholder.

According to Zhang Junru, the sponsor of the exhibition, there is no particular theme because all the children were told to draw whatever was on their mind. "What you might find interesting when looking at all of these paintings is how expressive the images are. These children do not care as much about what others think about their paintings compared to other children who do not have autism," explained Zhang. "Their paintings are a real reflection of emotions from the heart."

Apart from the paintings, there is a section where people can write their wishes for the children. Tan Haiying, a mother of a 12-year-old autistic girl named Qing Qing, said that although there is more social understanding about autism, which is characterized as a disorder of neural development, prejudice still remains. "This exhibition is a good chance to let people see a different perspective. These children are just like you and me, even if they express their own world slightly differently," Tan said.

Apart from passersby, 300 people will also be invited to attend the opening event on April 2, from general members of the public to autistic children and their families. One notable participant will be Zhang Zilin, the winner of the 2007 Miss World, who is also the first Miss World from China. The exhibition will then be displayed at six other locations in Beijing throughout the year.

Where: 33 Sanlitun Bar Street

When: April 2 to 6

Admission: free