Using art to reclaim their personal narrative

Neurodivergent creators in India are baking, painting and using social media to push back against stereotypes and change perceptions

- Divya Naik

In a quiet studio filled with soft music and the scent of acrylic paint, 23-year-old Amrit Khurana dips a brush into a swirl of colour. There's no plan, no pre-drawn outline—just a shape, a texture, a feeling. "My art is intuitive," Amrit says. "It begins with a sensation and unfolds into something meaningful." For Amrit, who is on the autism spectrum, painting isn't just about self-expression—it's survival. It's regulation. It's identity.

Across India, autistic artists, filmmakers, musicians, and writers are pushing back against outdated stereotypes that paint them as incapable. Through their creative work, they are reclaiming narrative control, offering rich, textured insights into what it means to live and create as a neurodivergent person. Their stories aren't footnotes in clinical case files; they are loud, proud testaments to resilience, beauty, and voice.

Verbal communication isn't always the default for autistic individuals. For many, art becomes a bridge—a mode of self-expression that doesn't demand conformity to neurotypical norms. Amrit's sensitivity to detail makes her art vibrate with emotional depth. "Colours hum, textures speak, spaces carry memory," she explains. The sensory overwhelm that often comes with autism finds a safe, malleable outlet on her canvas.