Autism speaks through art at new exhibit in Vail

What started out as one mother’s love and devotion to her son with autism has expanded to include artwork that is now shown internationally. “The Process is the Soul: Llorenz Sendra” is an exhibit being shown at L’Atelier Vail in Vail Village. Sendra, whose art has been shown in Mexico City, is one of the artists featured at this weekend’s inaugural Artisan Rhapsody event.

At two and a half years of age, Sendra was diagnosed with autism.

“At that time, it was called severe. Now, they will say autism spectrum disorder level 3 and that is the most complex autism,” said Karla Galván Duque, Sendra’s mother. Duque worked tirelessly with Sendra to find ways for him to communicate and as a graphic designer, she tried art and had Sendra imitate artwork.

“It got to the point where Llorenz was almost imitating too much. For example, if I used a blue crayon and created circles, he’d do the same, so I’d hide my drawings to see if he could do it on his own,” Duque said. “And he started to see the colors in a different way. He started to color with some intention. Then we started with acrylics and one day, I saw that he was painting in his room by himself, and he actually painted something that resembled a rainbow.”

Duque and her husband were amazed and decided that painting was something that their son really liked because he was doing it by himself.

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“Then he started to discover this world of emotions because for a long time, we had tried to teach him emotions,” Duque said. “For him, it’s very difficult to understand sadness, happiness. With painting, we could see that with his gestures and with the music he’d put on while he was painting there was a connection with his expression, and he was creating this. So, we felt like the world had to know that people who cannot express themselves verbally can express through other ways.”

Sendra’s art started to attract the attention of others. In 2024, Sendra became the first artist with autism to exhibit his work at the National Museum of World Cultures and at Galería L Mexico City as part of the program, “Espectro: First Edition. A Look at Autism through Contemporary Art.”

Sendra and Duque were introduced to Mónica Martínez Guerrero, founder and director of Banana Contemporary which represents artists.

“The first time I saw his work, I was shocked and the first thing I asked to Karla was, ‘Okay, who taught your son to do this? Does he know who Jackson Pollock is or abstract expressionism?’ and Karla said Llorenz had never been exposed to any kind of academic training, this was just a visceral need for expression. Every stroke arises from a genuine impulse, reminding us that art can be a means of existing in the world when words fail,” Guerrero said.

“I saw him painting and I started crying because I saw him being so free. It was like his whole world was just his movements and his gestures. Artists try so hard to be free from everything and to truly be creative without restraints and Llorenz is just … free,” Guerrero said.

Sendra, who is 20 years old, is in attendance this weekend at his solo exhibition in Vail. His works have been on display since mid-August at L’Atelier Vail and people have been enchanted with his art and his endearing story.

The exhibit became more interactive when visitors of the exhibit were invited to share their feelings and emotions on sticky notes posted next to Sendra’s works. This spontaneous gesture prompted youth and adults alike to share created a sense of community. It also gave visibility to the voice and talent of an autistic artist.

“I think kids especially understand his artwork. It is unspoken, but they are so drawn to it emotionally, even non-verbally,” Guerrero said.

One of the presenters of the exhibit is OTEA, a non-profit started by Duque that aims to raise awareness, provide training and adapt spaces to foster inclusion for people with autism.

“Autism is such a part of our family, it is just the way we live. But what happens outside the home? People do not understand the behaviors, and so this aims to educate businesses and restaurants and public places about autism and helps us assimilate with surroundings beyond our homes,” Duque said.

All proceeds from this exhibition will go directly to OTEA. “OTEA in Spanish means when you see through the horizon and beyond. There was no organization like this, so I had to start my own,” Duque said.

Duque and Sendra are a part of the Artisan Rhapsody this weekend in Vail, and Duque believes this is the only documented case worldwide of an artist with autism spectrum disorder level 3 producing a collectible body of work.

“I just cry every time I talk about him because nobody expected this. I didn’t expect it. Nobody had any expectations and nobody believed in him. And suddenly, he’s doing this,” Duque said. “He can say whatever he really needs and wants to say through painting, through art. And I have no words for that.”