April is Autism Awareness Month and The Royal Mint Experience, based in Llantrisant, South Wales, is proud to host Chris Baker, an autistic pencil artist from Cardiff.
Chris is self-taught and specialises in hyper-realistic pencil drawings. He has drawn numerous famous faces including Will Smith, Benedict Cumberbatch and David Walliams, and met them along the way. This exhibition will explore Chris’ negative life experiences and how, through his art, he has reformed them to create something positive. Titled ‘Every Negative Has a Positive’, the exhibition will feature exquisite portraits of influential figures who have embraced their differences, in the spirit of Autism Awareness Month.
The exhibition will run from Friday 12th April to Saturday 20thApril between 9:30am-4pm and is free to enter. No pre-booking is required. This exhibition will be enhanced with the use of a smart phone camera and visitors are encouraged to bring one along for the full experience.
The Royal Mint Experience also offers Autism-friendly tours on the first Sunday of each month at 9:15am. Visitors are welcome to call to arrange a different day or time. On this tour, sensory triggers such as sound and lighting stimulants are reduced wherever possible. The capacity of the tours is also reduced and carried out at the required pace of the group. Tour guides are trained to provide extra care, providing plenty of information upfront so nothing comes as a surprise.
