The purpose of this study was to explore the artwork activity experiences of young artists with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and the meanings embedded in those experiences. Previous studies on disability arts have primarily focused on the educat...
The purpose of this study was to explore the artwork activity experiences of young artists with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and the meanings embedded in those experiences. Previous studies on disability arts have primarily focused on the educational and therapeutic values and outcomes of artistic activities, such as rehabilitation, social skill development, emotional support, and psychological adjustment. In contrast, relatively little attention has been paid to how young artists with ASD construct and experience the meaning of their lives through artistic practice. Therefore, this study sought to investigate the meaning structure of artwork activity experiences among young artists with ASD from a phenomenological perspective.
For this purpose, six young artists with ASD who had been continuously engaged in artistic practice were selected as research participants. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and related documents and were analyzed using Colaizzi’s phenomenological method. We found that four essential themes emerged from the artwork activity experiences of young artists with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
First, “Becoming an Artist through the Creative Expression of Autistic Characteristics” refers to the participants’ experiences of psychological restoration, self-affirmation, and the formation of an artistic identity through utilizing their autistic characteristics as creative resources. Second, “Growth as a Creative Agent and Establishment as an Artist” refers to experiences of developing artistic agency, expanding modes of expression, and growing into professional artists. Third, “Relational Expansion of Life as an Artist” refers to experiences of extending one’s life as an artist through recognition, support, and interaction within diverse social networks. Fourth, “Expansion of Social Influence Beyond Social Constraints” refers to experiences of communicating with society and extending one’s influence through artistic works despite social prejudice and environmental barriers.
The findings indicate that the artwork activities of young artists with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are existential experiences that transcend therapeutic and rehabilitative purposes. Through artistic practice, they creatively manifest autistic characteristics and construct an artistic identity, develop agency as creative subjects and establish themselves as artists, expand their artistic lives through diverse social relationships, and extend their social influence beyond societal constraints. Furthermore, this study highlights the need to understand the artistic experiences of individuals with ASD from a perspective of strengths and possibilities rather than through a deficit-oriented disability discourse, and it suggests practical and academic implications for the further development of inclusive arts.