The dry season'€™s sun is scorching above Jakarta'€™s Fine Arts and Ceramics Museum in West Jakarta, but it does not bother 70 children with intellectual disabilities who are attending a ceramics painting event as part of an art exhibition.

Faradillah Fahira, a junior high school student at Lazuardi Global Islamic School, said she was pleased to see her blue-and-yellow painted ceramics piece after spending more than half an hour painting it.

A few minutes after putting down her painting tools, Faradillah joined her classmates who were putting their ceramics on display in the center area of the museum'€™s side yard. Participants expressed their thoughts about the various colors, but blue was seen to be dominating the spectrum.

'€œShe has been a painting enthusiast for several years now. Therefore, she is so happy to be part of this event along with her friends,'€ Darmiati, Faradillah'€™s caretaker, told The Jakarta Post.

The 58-year-old woman said that since Faradillah started her new painting hobby a few years ago, the girl had been able to control her emotions and does not fight with her brothers as often as before.

Eurika Sondang, a ninth grader, said she was excited to be able to do any outdoor activity. Having accompanied her teacher, the 18-year-old girl said she hoped that someday she could be a police officer as she would then be able to spend more time outside.

'€œI love painting and coloring any kind of picture, but I want to be a policewoman someday,'€ she said.

Nur Ika Damayekti, a teacher with the Lazuardi Global Islamic School, said there were so many advantages for children through coloring as it could help train their motor skills.

'€œColoring is one of the art therapies. Disabled children can express their emotions through the color when they are having difficulties sharing them with us through verbal communication,'€ she said.

Nur added that she learned that letting the children choose the colors would give them a sense of control over their own lives and the independency would boost their confidence. '€œThey will know that they can also make something.'€

She said that the school had applied the method for a few years to help their intellectually disabled students and the outcome was positive.

The ceramic painting event was part of the museum'€™s exhibition entitled '€œIdentity'€, which had the participation of 13 artists: Adhy Putraka, Antin Sabodo, Ayu Larasati, Bregas Harrimardoyo, Evy Yonathan, F. Widyanto, Geoffrey Tjakra, Haryo Soenggono, Ignasius Tommy, Lisa Sumardi, Silayana Setiadarma, Wati Karmojono and Yetty V. Tamsil.

Being held from Oct. 16 to 25, the event'€™s committee said it provided intellectually disabled children a space to show their artworks and potential. Committee members said they hoped that in next year'€™s event, the children could be among the participating artists.

Dyah Damayanti, head of the museum'€™s management unit, said she hoped that in the future there would be a ceramics painting artist come out the younger generation, including disabled children as recruitment was one of the main challenges in the field.

'€œNow we even categorize a 24-year-old as a very young ceramics painting artist. We really need younger people to take part,'€ she said.

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