French autistic artist Lucile, age 13, part of international art exhibit in Beijing

Lucile Notin-Bourdeau, Photo by Delphine Michelangeli

Every day Lucile creates between 50 and 200 drawings, always with a black pen.

By Debra Muzikar

The first thing one sees when looking at Lucile’s drawings is the simplicity and fluidity of the lines and the ease in which her characters express action and emotion.

Lucile "Alchemy"
Lucile “Aborigine” created at age 9

Lucile’s mom Eugénie says “Lucile is 13 years old and in many ways behaves like a typical teenager but how she sees the world is different than others.”

At the age of 4 Lucile was diagnosed with autism. The same year her unique characters were born. Every day Lucile makes between 50 and 200 drawings, always with a black pen. At age 11, felt-tips arrived to help her color some of them. She never crosses off and seems to compose according to what the line tells her. She has no time of reflection on what she’s going to make… the line calls to her.

Lucile "Pilgrim"
Lucile “Pilgrim” created at age 11

Lucile draws very fast and the order of execution is not still the same, the character evolving and modifying in progress. She makes nothing by direction, never copies out an existing drawing. Her mom says “Lucile’s drawings goes beyond the pleasure which it gives her. It seems to be a necessity for her and it is the only activity on which she’s capable of concentrating on for hours.”

Lucile "Aborigine"
Lucile “Alchemy” created at age 8

At 7 the doors of the school closed for her (In France there is a limited number of placements for Special Education students). Since then Lucile attends a day hospital in Avignon, France. Her first art exhibition was at the age of 10. She has had 30 since. She also collaborated in the writing of a play with her drawings and illustrated a musical tale around the French singer M who is very popular in France.

Lucile creates every day the pads of her journeys between two worlds, between two realities.

Lucile 3

Photographs of Lucile by Delphine Michelangeli when Lucile was 10.

Lucile Notin-Bourdeau will be one of 25 artists participating in an international exhibit in Beijing which the Art of Autism has curated. The exhibit is The 4th Art & Natural Health Creative Art Therapy International Conference & Integration Art Festival August 21 – 25. To find out more about Lucile visit her website or follow Lucile on Facebook.

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