A few colored
\nstains on a sheet of paper could be start of a complex painting, with
\ncharacters and all. Expressive paintings….voluntarily, or not…we don’t know. And that because we are talking about
\nart projects for and by children with autism, Down syndrome and psychological
\ntraumas.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Since 2010,
\nRoxana Ene has run projects, in Romania and Germany, in placement centres or
\nwith children with various disabilities. She started from the assumption,
\nconfirmed by artists the likes of Picasso, that children can paint before they
\ncan speak. So, she creates with them a new universe of artistic expression. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
A few years ago,
\nRoxana Ene started a project which resulted in a set of drawings started by such children and
\nsubsequently completed, gathered in a volume titled ‘Do you see what I see?.
\nThe model was simple: children would put some stains of colour on paper, and
\nRoxana would give them meaning. Or, we can put it this way: the children played
\nin the Paradise of colours, and Roxana made a trip there. And then she gathered
\nthe memories of that trip into a book.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
This year we met
\nher at an urban festival Women on
\nMatasari Street, where she was promoting pieces made in her collaborative
\nart workshops. Here is what she told us:<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
The
\ntraditional peasant’s skirt is the result of a fund-raising campaign. This type
\nof traditional skirt is present in many countries, including in Germany, and
\nthat could be a connection, though the details may differ. So, I said this type
\nof skirt is present everywhere and is quite simple, so I took the canvas off
\nthe wall and put it on these accessories, and they turned to be extremely
\nversatile and raised people’s interest.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
We also found
\nout that many of the items of clothing
\nmade as part of Roxana’s projects have been worn at prestigious events, such as
\nthe Gopo festival. But, as Roxana told us, the success of her projects lies not
\nin the aesthetics of her works, but in the funds they manage to raise for the
\nbenefit of children with problems:<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
I’ve
\nworked with all big NGOs in Romania and Germany, for charity. I started as a
\nvolunteer and, in 2015, this incredible story started. I got a grant from the
\nNational Cultural Fund Administration, and in 20176 I got funding from Kaufland
\nRomania. I am very proud of this! These are major steps, especially because I
\nam from Romania, from Bucharest, I was born here. This year we have another
\nsuccessful project on fashion and the collaborative art project for children,
\nfunded again by the National Cultural Fund Administration.<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
We aked Roxana
\nwhy she chose to take part in the Women
\non Matasari Street festival:<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
I
\nknew that this urban festival had become a tradition. Since 2017, as I am also
\nthe president of the Roxy and Kids Art NGO, I decided I had to particpate. It
\nwas only natural for an NGO like mine.<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Roxana told us
\nwhat happens in her workshops:<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
We’ve
\nwon this project and we are staying here, in the country, to work with children
\nwith Down syndrome. The children will co-author these pieces of clothing and
\nwill wear them at a fashion show that we will stage ourselves as part of this
\nproject. It is difficult, true, but it’s also wonderful how many beautiful
\nthings can happen in such a project.<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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