‘Design, Art, Autism’ is an art and design exhibit exploring new directions in sustainability for Artists with Autism.

The De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde and the Unilab Foundation, in association with Vico’s Artism Gallery presents ‘Design, Art, Autism’. Eight Artists with Autism from the Unilab Foundation (ULF) will be presented in this exhibit in partnership with the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde. The artists’ paintings will be interpreted by design students from the College and through this merger of art and design, the project will explore the possibilities of finding a sustainable practice for Artists with Autism. ‘Design, Art, Autism’ is curated by CCA Director, Architect Gerry Torres.

The paintings of Jorel Alegre, Vico Cham, Julyan Harrison, Chico Joaquin, Samantha Kaspar, Karl Oliveros, Muneer Pena, and Daniel Sanchez will be used as sources of design by the students of Benilde’s Architecture, Fashion Design, and Industrial Design programs. By extracting patterns, colors, shapes, forms and other elements from the artworks, the students will design toys, footwear, decorative objects, grilles, lighting fixtures, jewelry, bags, furniture, garments and other objects that can possibly be turned into merchandise. Through this strategy, the College and the Unilab Foundation hopes to introduce the artists to the design, business, and marketing industries and tap into their community of designers, producers, and financiers who can possibly turn the designed artifacts into products and provide a sustainable income stream for the artists and their families.

‘Design, Art, Autism’ will include text and videos about Autism aimed to provide information about the condition and the latest developments in research, treatment, and therapy. In particular, the practice of art therapy and the role it plays in the development of an autistic person will be presented. All of these are geared toward fostering awareness, understanding, and acceptance of persons with Autism.

A part of the show will be dedicated to organizations that work with Persons with Disability (PWD). These organizations include ULF, whose program, Project Inclusion, has enabled the employment of more than 100 PWDs and Benilde’s Center for Inclusive Education, tasked to make higher education more accessible to PWDs. Individuals who play important roles in the lives of the artists will be highlighted, most especially their mothers and fathers as well as their grandparents, siblings, cousins, art coaches, teachers, and companions.

The exhibit will open at the 12th Floor Gallery of the School of Design and Arts Campus of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde on June 15, 2017, and will be open to the public from June 16 to July 29, 2017. Corollary activities related to the show will be planned for the duration of the exhibit. The project is produced by the Unilab Foundation, the De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde’s Center for Inclusive Education (CIE) and the Center for Campus Art (CCA).

For more information about the exhibit, please contact King Etcobanez, Timothy Adriano or PJ Almera at 230-5100 local 3849.