From Surviving to Striving: Autistic Artist’s Stroke of Serendipity
With brushes that speak louder than words, 19-year-old autistic artist Christine Mike-Nnaji makes a boundary-shattering solo debut, celebrating the transformative power of art, Yinka Olatunbosun reports
Every parent dreams of watching their child grow and flourish into a capable and confident individual. But for some families, this journey is marked by unexpected twists and turns, revealing new depths of love, patience, and understanding. For Nonye Mike-Nnaji, her daughter Christine’s remarkable story is the inspiration behind a powerful new solo exhibition at Mydrim Gallery “Seen, Heard, Understood.”
As a 19-year-old autistic artist, Christine makes her solo debut on March 29, showcasing the transformative power of art to heal, uplift and connect us all. Coinciding with the UN’s World Autism Day on April 2, this poignant exhibition celebrates the boundless potential of individuals with autism and the profound impact of art on our lives.
With a heart full of joy, Christine’s mom, Nonye, reminisced about her daughter’s remarkable journey. Diagnosed with autism at a young age, Christine had to navigate a world that often seemed daunting and unforgiving. From the darkest depths of denial and depression, Christine emerged with courage and resilience, gradually embracing her true self. And Nonye, her doting mother, has been her rock every step of the way.
As Nonye reflected on this year’s powerful theme, “Moving from Surviving to Striving,” she shared a remarkable breakthrough in Christine’s journey. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Christine discovered her voice – literally – through the healing power of art. As she began to paint, words began to flow, and a new world of communication opened up. “In her first three years, she had actually achieved all her milestones but when we came back to Nigeria from Dublin, everything changed,” she recalled. “She first started staring at the wall.”
But that wasn’t the end of the story. How did her paintings end up on the walls she was once staring at? Nonye narrated how wide consultations with doctors and therapists pointed her in the right direction. As a trained lawyer, Nonye never encountered autism nor did she interact with any one with special needs. Having to raise a neurodivergent child came with a huge responsibility to constantly learn, care and nurture. There’s no holiday when raising an autistic child, she said. She kept seeking education for her child who could hardly fit any class. And art came to the rescue. “In social studies, instead of doing what other people do with social studies, she would just draw. I was thinking it was art and crafts.”
But during the COVID-19 lockdown, her siblings were taking online classes and she was restless. “I asked my husband, ‘Can we get an art teacher?’”
Nonye’s request was granted and Christian started to paint while enjoying art tutelage. She was so committed that she would spend the whole day on a painting. At first, Nonye didn’t believe the paintings were her work. She thought the teacher only wanted to impress her. But she stayed back to watch a session and was completely overwhelmed by the magic in her daughter’s hands.
“I cried,” she let on, holding back the tears. “My crying was that all those years of going around for intervention; if only I had invested more time for art…”
In quick response to this discovery, she ordered 20 canvases for Christine. But she wasn’t thinking about any exhibition of sorts at that moment. “I actually ordered them for her to be happy, because I saw that she was now being engaged,” Nonye continued.
The breakthrough now came some three weeks into drawing: Christine started speaking. Somebody that would just do phrases; phrases started joining phrases. “There is always ability in every disability. In fact, can we actually say that someone is really disabled, or are we saying that they live in a different world altogether? Christine is trying, the way she began to function, to relate, just because she started doing something that she loves.”
Christine’s remarkable artistry has garnered significant media attention, featuring on esteemed platforms such as BBC and a GT Bank series on autism. Building on this momentum, she made a notable debut in a group show at Terra Kulture, a renowned art space located in the heart of Victoria Island, Lagos. Here, she emerged as the best-selling artist, a testament to her talent and dedication. Now, with her solo show, Christine is taking her artistic journey to the next level. Notably, the proceeds from this exhibition will be channelled towards funding Christine’s education, as well as supporting the educational needs of other autistic children in slums across select African cities, including Kenya and Nigeria. This initiative underscores the importance of inclusive education and the transformative power of art in uplifting marginalised communities.
Hence, Nonye called on the government to institute policies that would make the educational system more inclusive for children with special needs to thrive.
The founder and director, Mydrim Gallery, Sinmidele Adesanya said that the show was a crucial one at the heart of humanity. While reflecting on the harsh economic climate for art business in Nigeria, she said that the gallery was repositioning for a more profitable outlook this year until Christine’s story as well as paintings were shared. “The objective is to discover new artists,” she said. “I had to go back to the objectives to see if it was within our framework.”
As it turned out, Christine’s pieces weren’t just a good fit for the gallery but beautifully framed, showcasing vibrancy of colours as well as urban city life.
