A new exhibit at the Oceanside Museum of Art invites the community to view autism through a different lens.
The exhibit, titled “Art of Autism: A Different Lens,” showcases art created by neurodivergent individuals, emphasizing that art is not just what you see but what you make others see.
Austin Jones, an artist featured in the exhibit, shared that his pieces represent stories.
"We have Intertwined, which is a story about how two people being in a relationship can have colliding feelings and that can be a very mixed bag of emotions, especially for different people on the autism spectrum," he said.
Jones, who is autistic, uses his art to explore challenges faced by individuals on the autism spectrum, including social settings and stereotypes.
“Some individuals on the spectrum do experience these episodes and I have gone through experiencing these kinds of episodes as well. And I wanted to make this as a message about it.” One of his pieces, titled “Hollow,” reflects the emptiness felt during such episodes. "When you go through these episodes, there’s a big sense of hollowness,” he told ABC 10News.
The exhibit is a collaboration between the museum and The Art of Autism, a nonprofit based in San Diego.
The exhibit will be open to the public until Aug. 3.
