artist inspiration:
Mariam Paré
ARTIST STATEMENT:
"My artistic interests are constantly morphing as I like to experiment with both painting and multimedia. In addition to painting by mouth, I make art based on the disability experience. I make art to better understand myself and the world around me.
Mariam Paré is a self-taught visual and multimedia artist who became a quadriplegic at age 20 after surviving a gunshot injury. She retrained herself to paint by holding a brush in her mouth and has since gained recognition for her technically skilled and expressive mouth-painting practice. Her work often explores themes related to disability identity and culture. Paré is also the creator of the Tres Fridas Project, an acclaimed exhibition that reimagines iconic artworks through a disability lens. A 3Arts Fellow and collaborator with the UIC Disability Culture Leadership Initiative, she is also an active member of the Association of Mouth and Foot Painting Artists Worldwide.
Victorine Floyd Fludd
Victorine Floyd Fludd is a blind photographer , who is part of the 'Seeing Through Photography' artist collective.
She says: "I make pictures with a technique called light painting. It is a way a blind person can make photographs with almost no assistance. I have a certain technique with the flashlights; I always make swirls with the light. If you see a picture with a swirl in it, it’s mine my trademark. I love to make pictures. It’s really fun . It’s always nice when someone says, “Victorine this picture is fantastic!”
Here the viewer gets to see something the creator explicitly cannot. In a way the viewer acts as the creator's eyes.
paul smith
Known worldwide as the “Typewriter Artist,” Paul Smith’s story spans eight decades, seven in which he created typewriter art. Having a severe case of spastic Cerebral Palsy that affected his speech, his mobility, and his fine motor coordination. He translated his love and expertise in printmaking medium to be able to create artwork with one finger on his typewriter at home
John Bramblitt
John Bramblitt is an American painter who is functionally blind, meaning he can only distinguish between sunlight and darkness. Despite his vision loss, he creates artwork by using textured paints to guide his hands across the canvas. Bramblitt is recognized as the world’s first blind muralist, with large-scale works in cities such as New York and Dallas. His vibrant paintings blend impressionist techniques with the bold, contemporary flair of pop art.
yang
Yang expresses his creativity through Chinese Paper Cutting Art. At The Age Of 10 He Was Diagnosed With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Disease. Since he does not have much motor-control, his process is done by wrapping a piece of elastic around his face to aid in moving the graver tools.
matt sesow
The artist discovered painting at age 28 as a healing outlet after a traumatic childhood accident that resulted in the loss of their left hand. Since then, painting has become both a personal lifeline and a professional career. His work serves as an emotional response to past trauma and a visual language for expressing previously unspoken feelings. Known for sharp lines, bold colours, and symbolic "icons" such as trauma scars, guardian angels, and one-winged phoenixes, the artist uses these recurring motifs to mark emotional states and life moments. With a global following, they have sold over 8,000 paintings since 1996 and continue to inspire others through a practice rooted in resilience, hope, and self-expression.
