WA artist with cerebral palsy finds voice through painting
Colin Hanssen, who lives with cerebral palsy, has burgeoned into a prolific artist in the last six months. (ABC Great Southern: Mark Bennett)
In short:
A West Australian artist who lives with cerebral palsy has caught the attention of art curators across the state.
Colin Hanssen combines painting with performance to express his lived experience.
What's next?
The 31-year-old is preparing his first collection to be featured in Perth galleries.
On a quiet country road on Western Australia's south coast, Colin Hanssen is wrapping up his first exhibition.
Despite being a newcomer to the world of painting, there's been plenty to see on the walls, and floor, of the artist's rural Albany studio.
For Hanssen, who was born with cerebral palsy and is largely non-verbal, art has become a vital form of self expression.
The 31-year-old uses his wheelchair and right hand to blend colourful and earthy tones, combining performance with paint to create his abstract pieces.
Colin Hanssen's work is displayed in his Redmond studio, on the outskirts of Albany. (ABC Great Southern: Mark Bennett)
His mother Wendy Hanssen said the unique skill was realised just six months ago in an art therapy class.
"That was when it was brought home that actually this could be an outlet for Colin," she said.
"This could potentially be his voice."
Wendy Hanssen says painting is an outlet for her son, who is largely non-verbal. (ABC Great Southern: Mark Bennett)
Beating the odds
His recent selection for this year's Southern Art and Craft Trail, an event which highlights talent across the region, shows just how much he has exceeded expectations, according to Ms Hanssen.
"We went and saw a neurosurgeon who told us to love Colin while we've got him, because he wasn't going to make it to his first birthday," she said.
"Colin's first birthday came and went, and we knew that we were clearly on the right track.
"Thirty-one years later, he's still with us, beating the odds left, right and centre."
Colin Hanssen's paintings blend vibrant and earthy tones. (ABC Great Southern: Mark Bennett)
A pre-verbal medium
Art therapist Serena McLaughlan has worked with Hanssen since he first started painting, and helped to curate the exhibition's collection.
"They [visitors] come in and they're just drawn to the work," she said.
"They're really interested in the story and fascinated by the process."
Serena McLaughlan is an art therapist based in the Great Southern. (ABC Great Southern: Mark Bennett)
She said much of Hanssen's work draws from his time living in Africa.
"Engaging with vast expanses of landscape is a lived experience that comes through in the painting," she said.
"It's the power of art to talk of his lived experience and his stories over words.
"Art is pre-verbal — drawing, music and dance is all before words."
Serena McLaughlan says many of Colin Hanssen's paintings draw on his lived experiences. (ABC Great Southern: Mark Bennett)
With the Art Trail completed, the team now has its sights set on the city.
"We've had two people, two artists from different galleries in Perth, asking if Colin will exhibit with them," Ms Hanssen said.
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