(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Freedom is a word that is closely associated with art. Artist should be able to freely express their feelings so their creative energies can emerge. This holds true even for people considered as having "special needs."
Unfettered and unbound, artists at 'Mawaheb from Beautiful People', an art studio for adults with special needs, prove that they too have freedom of thought and action.
They are participating at Sikka Art Festival, an annual initiative founded by the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority to showcase grassroots artistic talents.
Their individual and collaborative creations, curated under the theme 'Birds of a Feather Flock Together,' portray the artistic skills they've learned and developed. Their confidence is inspiring and their talent is awesome.
"The purpose of Mawaheb (Arabic word for talented) is to bridge the gap between society and adults with special needs," Dutch expat and founder of Mawaheb, Wemmy de Maaker, told Khaleej Times. "Here, art is used as a tool to develop life skills and encourage students to be more independent individuals."
"We want the world to acknowledge people with special needs and to accept them. They have a story to tell us and they also show us what life is all about."
"At Mawaheb, we treat them as normal adult-artists. We don't look at them as persons with disabilities because if you keep looking at them as persons with special needs they won't grow," de Maaker added.
Indian expat Sharan Anil Budhrani, 25, is one of the student-artists at Mawaheb. Undeterred being tied on his wheelchair for his entire life, he said: "I paint because I want to express myself."
His erudite mind is full of imagination and he said he wanted people to treat him "as a normal human being with feelings and emotions - just like anyone else."
"Painting birds is one of favourite subjects because it signifies freedom and it's colourful. We want people to recognise us as artists and we invite them to come and see our work," he added.
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