Shades of red, pink and black swirl on a canvas surface, melding in seamless patterns to form a harmonious yet organic visual composition. The contrast between the strong shades of red and the striking mottled patterns of black in Cherry Blossoms seem to allude to discarded cherry pits after the succulent fruit has been consumed, while evoking the dynamic, Zen-influenced action paintings of Jackson Pollock.

Above all, Cherry Blossoms reflects the precocity of the artist behind the acrylic painting, 13-year-old Abhiyasa Adhi Pradhanika, who goes by Abhi.

Cherry Blossoms is among the works featured in the virtual exhibition “Through My Window: An Exhibition by Neurodivergent Artists” from Jakarta-based VOCA (Vocational Art Space for the Special Needs Community). The exhibit featuring the works of Abhi and his peers was held from March 18 to May 2, 2022 on Kunstmatrix (www.kunstmatrix.com) an online visual arts platform that provides the space and tools for members to create their own virtual exhibitions, including 3D spaces, as well as sell their artwork.

Remarkable artwork: Abhiyasa Adhi Pradhanika poses with his finished clay pot. (Courtesy of Adhyanti Sardanarini) (Courtesy of Adhyanti Sardanarini/Courtesy of Adhyanti Sardanarini)

The coronavirus served as a muse for Abhi and the five other featured artists – Jordan “The Stickman” Tirtadjaja, brothers Abyaz and Abyan Ramadhan, Alifa Aisyah Bella and Rasyad Rafy – as the imposition of related lockdowns, social distancing and other restrictive measures triggered an outpouring of emotion, VOCA explains in the description on the landing page for “Through My Window”.

“Here, we are invited to experience their wide array of feelings, emotions and imagination during these unprecedented times. While carefully enjoying these artworks, we may also notice that there is a message of hope and joy sprinkled across these works,” it continues.

Overcoming adversity

Abhi’s Cherry Blossom, the vivid lines of Jordan’s Stickman and Game Boy, made with marker on paper, and Abyaz’s mixed media My Favorite Game with hints of Piet Mondrian’s Composition and Tableau series, reflect VOCA’s belief “that art is one of the most powerful tools that give voice to underrepresented groups, namely neurodivergent artists”.

Neurodivergence is “the term for when someone’s brain processes, learns, and/or behaves differently from what is considered typical”, according to the article “What Does It Mean to be Neurodivergent?” on award-winning mental health resource Verywell Mind. The opposite is neurotypical, or “someone who has the brain functions, behaviors, and processing considered standard or typical”

“The artists in VOCA are in a spectrum [of various mental conditions]. These include autism, ADHD and BPD,” said VOCA cofounder and art educator Venessa Tirta, referring to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and borderline personality disorder.

“Our mission is to empower [them] through education and training in the visual arts, supporting them on their journey of finding their own artistic voice and pursuing their creative endeavors,” she added.

In short, VOCA helps Abhi and other young artists like him to develop their skills and talents and to use their art to overcome the challenges of mental and emotional adversity.

Special education psychologist Sri Purwita Mintarti agrees with Venessa’s statement.

“Art plays a major role in the development of children with autism and other conditions. It is an effective form of therapy, because art engages their feelings, thought processes, as well as their mental, motor, communication and socialization skills,” she said. “Getting hands-on [experience] with art also calms them down and makes them more focused.”

“We found out that Abhi was autistic in 2015 when he was six years old. Doctors in Singapore, where I was posted during that time, diagnosed him with the condition,” recalled his mother Adhyanti “Yanti” Sardanarini, who works as a diplomat.

“While he is in the middle of the [autism] spectrum, his reading, writing and speaking skills were notably hampered,” she explained.

Finding his niche

It was also while he was in Singapore that Abhi discovered his artistic calling, Yanti said.

“While studying at Lee Kong Chian Gardens School for children with special needs, which is a part of MINDS [Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore], he enrolled in art and craft classes.

“His teachers in the course immediately recognized Abhi’s artistic talents, and referred him to the Very Special Arts Singapore organization. The latter honed his skills accordingly,” she added.

A hopeful message: Abhiyasa Adhi Pradhanika's painting titled 'Change' reflects the notion that change is the only constant fact of life. (Courtesy of Adhyanti Sardanarini/Courtesy of Adhyanti Sardanarini)

Abhi’s acclaimed piece, How I See Myself, was the result of his collaboration with Very Special Arts, now rebranded ART:DIS Singapore, which was shown at the 2017 Singapore Youth Festival and earned him a Certificate of Recognition (Special Mention) from Singapore’s Ministry of Education.

Featuring a dynamic mélange of bold green, orange and blue in a silhouette, the painting demonstrates his unusually mature grasp of artistic techniques and vision, and its vibrancy is not lost on viewers.

“The colors you see are the reflection of my personality,” Abhi wrote in the description for How I See Myself.

“Your careful attention to detail [in How I See Myself] has allowed the paint to flow and the colors to blend dynamically,” noted the festival;s curators. “It is a great invitation for the audience to step into your world.”

Honing technique, defining style

His more recent pieces, such as Melihat Bulan (Gazing at the moon) and The Galaxy, reflect Yanti’s observation that her son uses art as his “sole outlet to express himself, as well as communicating his feelings and needs”. The paintings also show how Abhi has refined his technique through working with VOCA.

Both painted in 2021, the two paintings are displayed alongside Cherry Blossom in “Through My Window”. In the acrylic and clay painting Melihat Bulan, a dark figure that might represent Abhi seems to look past the pink, peach and blue splotches of paint that could represent strong emotions and straight at the yellow sunlight in front of him.

It and other pieces exhibited in “Through My Window: reflect VOCA’s assertion that “there is a message of hope and joy sprinkled across these works”.

Abhi explores the theme of hope and change in Change, which features mottled dots of black, turquoise and orange paint weaving their way to the right. The pattern calls to mind salmon as they swim upriver to spawn eggs or organisms constantly moving under a microscope. The work’s dynamism seems to suggest that change is the only constant in life.

While Abhi has a sharp eye for visual composition, his artwork can be about function as much as about form. Numbers, for example, a charcoal drawing on dark paper he made in 2020, can enliven mundane everyday items.

“The pattern [for Numbers] was printed on masks in 2020. It was then printed on bicycle jerseys the following year,” Yanti explained.

“A number of people expressed their interest in buying Cherry Blossoms and Melihat Bulan. I am grateful for the attention [the paintings] generated, though I have to say they are not for sale,” she added.

Yanti said Abhi was constantly sharpening his painting skills, and expressed her hope that he would continue to exhibit his work.

But whenever and wherever Abhi decides to show his art, there’s little doubt that he will make a lasting impression on his viewers.