UNSEEN POTENTIAL

An exhibition by artists with Down syndrome serves as a platform to advocate for their dignity, employment rights and inclusion

- STORY: THANA BOONLERT

“Bird!” A cheer erupted from a workshop when Gift, a young girl with Down syndrome, spoke for the first time.

In a class presentation, while some students actively presented their artwork, others kept silent. After seven months of being in this classroom, Gift pointed to her painting and described it as a feathered creature.

“I was moved to tears,” said Nukai Patthamang in front of her daughter’s work, which is currently on view at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA Bangkok).

Gift studied with typically developing classmates until Prathom 6. During Covid-19, social isolation led her to shut down. Nukai was encouraged to bring Gift to 21/3 Art Studio and despite some initial hesitation, she travelled back and forth between Samut Prakan and Bangkok every week.

“I am happy that my daughter is more talkative and confident,” she said.

Funded by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, 21/3 Art Studio brings together 50 artists with Down syndrome from all age groups. While Pancake fills her work with hearts, Boom’s paintings are letters to her mother and Nine draws portraits of people he has met. Each has their own unique style.

21/3 Art Studio is the first of its kind for those with Down syndrome, a genetic condition in which a person has an extra copy of chromosome 21, which can affect how their brain and body develops. The studio is located on the second floor of the Association for Parents of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities of Thailand (APID).

Following the first exhibition titled “Extra Chromosome Just Like You” in March, they organised another event titled “Just Let Me Be” under the theme “If You Don’t Understand Me, Don’t Worry” to show the potential of artists with Down syndrome. It features over 200 acrylic paintings, spanning from abstract to realistic art.