Eight Filipino artists with special needs will represent the Philippines in the upcoming Fashion Arts Autism Benefit (FAAB) in New York.
Among the representatives is 19-year-old Samantha Kaspar, who, along with the seven others, has painted Filipino-inspired artworks on piña silk, which will be translated into clothing by the featured designers for the show, Patis Tesoro and Anthony Legarda.
Joining the FAAB means a lot to Samantha, who was diagnosed with classic autism when she was two.
Since she learned to paint at three years old, Samantha, a semi-verbal or someone who could talk only occasionally, has learned to express more through her colorful artworks that range from Disney characters to intricate landscapes, her mom said.
“She’s an artist who doesn’t want her hands to get dirty!” said Dolores Cheng of the Center for Possibilities Foundation.
Cheng noticed Kaspar’s exceptional talent in an art exhibit at the school of her son, who is also a child with special needs.
Raising children with autism has been a great challenge, admitted Cheng. Not only that having one is expensive, as tuition in a special school goes up to P250,000 per year. It also entails care, love, and understanding, so much so that both parents cannot work as one of them has to attend to the child. This is among the reasons why around 55 percent of couples with an autistic child end up in break up, said Cheng.
To help Samantha fulfill her dream of becoming a professional artist despite her condition, Cheng and the Center for Possibilities Foundation will be auctioning around 30 to 40 of Samantha’s artworks in a self-titled exhibit on January 28, 5:30 p.m., at the RCBC Plaza in Makati City.
Since Samantha loves musicals and even sings to her favorite musicals’ lyrics, her exhibit will be accompanied by the Manila Symphony Orchestra at 7 p.m.
All proceeds from the auction will help fund Samantha’s trip to New York to join FAAB.
Cheng hopes the auction and the concert would become a “sanctuary” for parents who need to accept and come to terms with the fact that “our children could be different, but they’re not less” of a person.
After all, she said, “We’re all born equally disabled. Some are just undiagnosed!”
Source: The Philippine Star
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