On a Monday afternoon, Abhishek sat still in front of rows of paintings of Gaganendranath Tagore in the ‘painting gallery‘ of Kolkata’s Indian Museum. The sunlight from the old and arched window of the gallery was falling on the panels of painting making a shadow-like triangle. Looking at the rows of paintings which are unique specimens of the Bengal School of Art and the light falling in a triangle, Abhishek drew a tram. Although it was not unusual for people to draw trams that stand as an icon to the city’s transport and history the boy’s parents were curious as he had not seen one in the recent past.
These rows of paintings must have appeared like coaches to Abhishek and the light falling on them like a pantograph, explained Arnab Basu, curator and in-charge of the art section of the Indian Museum. “If you stand and just look at the sketches and artworks of children and young adults with autism, you will be fascinated how different their perception of the world is,” Mr. Basu said.
Every Monday when the museum is closed for visitors, children and young adults with autism like Abhishek come to the painting gallery and textile and decorative art gallery of the country’s oldest museum. They look at the exhibits in silence under the watchful eyes of their parents and try to sketch using their perceptive and imaginative powers.
