Colin Hanssen, a 31-year-old Western Australian artist who lives with cerebral palsy, has completed his first exhibition at his rural studio in Redmond, on the outskirts of Albany. Now he’s preparing a collection for possible exhibition in Perth galleries. He paints abstract works from his wheelchair, using his right hand, and has been selected for this year’s Southern Art and Craft Trail.
An outlet through art
Hanssen was born with cerebral palsy and is largely non-verbal. He combines painting with performance, choosing colourful and earthy tones to express his lived experience. His mother, Wendy Hanssen, said his painting skill emerged six months ago in an art therapy class.
“That was when it was brought home that actually this could be an outlet for Colin,” Wendy Hanssen said. “This could potentially be his voice.”
The account traces Hanssen’s painting to that class and the support he receives from his family. It offers no information about therapy costs, whether his work has sold, or whether exhibitions bring him income. It also doesn’t report gallery terms or payment arrangements for the collection under consideration.
Wendy Hanssen said a neurosurgeon had warned the family to love Colin while they had him, because he wasn’t expected to reach his first birthday. “Colin’s first birthday came and went, and we knew that we were clearly on the right track,” she said. “Thirty-one years later, he’s still with us, beating the odds left, right and centre.”
Exhibition and audience
Hanssen held his first exhibition at his rural studio in Redmond, on the outskirts of Albany. He’s also been selected for this year’s Southern Art and Craft Trail. His family is preparing a collection for possible exhibition in Perth galleries.
Art therapist Serena McLaughlan has worked with Hanssen since he began painting and helped curate the exhibition collection. She said visitors were drawn to the art and wanted to know about its story and process. The report gives no visitor numbers or sales details.
McLaughlan said much of Hanssen’s art draws on his time living in Africa. “Engaging with vast expanses of landscape is a lived experience that comes through in the painting,” she said. She described the work as a way to share experiences and stories beyond speech.
“It’s the power of art to talk of his lived experience and his stories over words,” McLaughlan said. “Art is pre-verbal — drawing, music and dance is all before words.”
Possible Perth shows
Wendy Hanssen said two artists from different Perth galleries had asked whether Colin would exhibit with them. The family is weighing what to do next. “We’re going to look at getting a series done,” she said.
The possible exhibitions remain under consideration. The article reports interest from two artists at different galleries, but doesn’t name the galleries or say an exhibition is confirmed. It provides no details about funding, public support, sales, or who owns the paintings. The available account follows Hanssen from an art therapy class to a studio exhibition and selection for the Southern Art and Craft Trail, as his family prepares another collection for possible display in Perth.