Piece of art by LoveArtPix

My name is Dez, a self-taught autistic artist from Manchester. Diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder in my 20s, I received a late diagnosis of Autism at 41 and am currently undergoing PTSD therapy while being assessed for ADHD.

My artistic journey began with creating artwork on the Picsart app on my mobile phone, but it wasn't until around 2018 that I fully immersed myself in it. Art became my personal therapy, helping me express and cope with my heightened emotional states and erratic thoughts, especially while going through my autism assessment.

As Loveartpix, I share my creations on social media to promote the therapeutic power of art. My late autistic diagnosis has brought me a lot of clarity in how I perceive the world, inspiring me to blog about my personal experiences to help others going through the same journey and spread awareness about being neurodivergent in a neurotypical society.

I strongly believe in helping others and regularly donate art to various charities and causes, raising thousands of pounds at auction.

My artwork is displayed in various locations throughout the Northwest of England, including Manchester, Blackpool, Cumbria, and even in France at the Normandy Memorial Trust. In the past two years, I have been nominated for 5 awards and won my first (Autism Hero award) in 2023.

Beyond art, I prioritise self-education and mindfulness to manage my condition. I am determined to help break the stigma surrounding neurodiverse conditions and encourage open discussion without fear of judgment.

Currently, I am being filmed for a documentary chronicling my late diagnosis journey and the role of art therapy in my life. I am collaborating with Picsart to create the first-of-its-kind art therapy course, which I believe will benefit others as it does me, with the first course piloting in HMP Manchester. This year will also see my first long-awaited solo art exhibition in Spinningfields, Manchester.

For a few years, I have been involved with Maggie and the Foundation and fully believe in the cause and the dedication and courage of Maggie, the team, and the survivors. I try to create a special one-off piece of art to donate for each event they have to support in the best way I can. Each piece I create reflects my emotions and passion, aiming to embody everything The Maggie Oliver Foundation stands for.

I am proud to call Maggie my friend, as she and the team inspire me daily and push me to keep fighting my own battles #painintopower."

Description of artwork

With this piece I wanted to capture some of the positive energy that The Maggie Oliver Foundation stands for. I felt using a pop-art style was the most fitting so that I could add many aspects in an abstract way whilst telling a visual story. I like for my art to have many layers and for the viewer to spot different elements each time they look.

What do you see…?

Printed onto glass with added resin to promote the pop-art style, mounted in a deep white scoop frame to make the colours really stand out."

Dimensions are 30inch x 30 inch