Hanoi (VNA) - Therich lives of people with autism is reflected through visual arts at an ongoingexhibition in Hanoi.

Titled Encounters,the exhibition presents photography, video, audio and installation works byyoung artists. Three of them have an older sibling with autism - Trinh Mai Chi,PQN, Quynh. Three have a passion for photography – Le Anh Dung, Duong Thuy Lyand Tram.

PQN, whose real name isPham Quynh Nhi, has an older brother suffering from autism.

“Life with someone withautism is not easy, but it’s not as terrible and difficult as people imagine,”she said.

“Through the photos, I wantto tell visitors that living with the autists is not full of obstacles but alsojoy.”

Nhi presented photosdepicting the ordinary days of her brother, the way he sees life and how hereacts with surrounding people. The exhibition is a part of a participatoryresearch in autism through visual arts. The artists come from variousbackgrounds and are new to practising arts.

The artworks took shapethrough a process of discussions, exchanging personal stories, and throughreflections on each other’s works and practices.

Le Huong Giang, a coordinatorfrom the Centre for Creative Initiatives in Health and Population, saidthe exhibition opened space for images, colours, words and voices full ofcharacters and styles about the spiritual life of those with autism.

The exhibition involvesdiscussions, art tours and workshops to create an open space for dialoguesabout autism and related issues, from medical and social perspectives to visualarts in families with autistic members researchers, practitioners and artistsand anyone with an interest in autism.

The conferences will revealthe experiences of siblings of people with disabilities, discussions aboutconsiderations in research and programmes using visual-based participatorymethods, and Intelligence Quotient (IQ) in the assessment and intervention forchildren with disabilities.

During each 30-minute arttour, curator Nguyen Quoc Thanh and participating artists will introduce theideas and concept of the exhibition and the process of making the artworks. Theartists also offer special sessions with customised activities for families ofpeople with autism, teachers and students from special needs school.

All art tours will be conductedin Vietnamese and free-of-charge, with English translation available onrequest.

Everyday, artist Nhung willconduct a series of interactive workshops for people with autism, families,students, and any visitors to the exhibition to learn about autism and, mostexcitingly, to make their own “zine” (what is this???) through painting,colouring, writing, and cut-and-paste.

The exhibition will rununtil January 28 at the Vietnamese Women’s Museum, 36 Ly Thuong Kiet Street, Hanoi.-VNA