"Visit the Exhibition Painted from the Heart by Autistic Youth" ... On Display at Daegu Textile Museum from the 9th

Lee Sung-min's work 'Lovely Cat'.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Koo Dae-seon] The Daegu Textile Museum will hold a special exhibition titled "Happy Rabbit and Friends" from the 9th of this month until January 24th of next year as part of the Beautiful Sharing Project.

This exhibition celebrates the Year of the Rabbit, 2023 (Gyemyo Year, 癸卯年), showcasing over 70 paintings created by 19 developmentally disabled youths belonging to the "Drawing with Heart Center" (Director Park Eun-joo). The artworks feature subjects such as rabbits, crocodiles, tigers, and cars. Some of these paintings have also served as the foundation for the museum's cultural products.

This exhibition is a special event promoted as part of the Beautiful Sharing Project, through which the museum collaborates with textile companies and local institutions to carry out cultural sharing initiatives for marginalized groups.

The participating artists are teenagers to people in their twenties, all diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, and have received art rehabilitation education for periods ranging from 5 to over 10 years.

As the term "spectrum" in autism spectrum disorder suggests, the severity of the disability varies by individual, and each person possesses different abilities.

Director Park Eun-joo stated, "Savant Syndrome, a phenomenon where individuals with autism or intellectual disabilities possess extraordinary talents in a specific field, occurs rarely?about one in 2,000 people. Compared to savants, children with general autism spectrum disorder take longer, but through continuous education, they can shape objects into forms."

Director Park added, "At first, they start at a level where they cannot even hold a pencil properly, and it takes a lot of time to shape the subjects they want to express. I am happy that the fruits of their efforts have come together to make this exhibition possible. I deeply thank the museum for planning this exhibition."

The museum's image curator said, "I believe that the Daegu Textile Museum’s collaboration with local institutions to conduct sharing projects centered on the region’s environment and cultural content represents the new role museums are required to play today. Beyond exhibitions and educational programs, we will actively seek out marginalized spaces and subjects in our region and make even small efforts so that they can enjoy and partake in culture through the museum."

During the exhibition period, exhibition explanations by Director Park Eun-joo will be held under the theme "Special Sparkle" on the 17th of this month and January 8th of next year at 2 p.m. respectively.