Debra Hosseini
Jeremy said to his mom, “I had a dream I painted 10 paintings and I had a showing in an art gallery. Do you think this could be true?”
If you follow twenty-four year old Jeremy Sicile-Kira on twitter (@Jeremyisms) you will quickly be pulled into his view of the world.
Examples of Jeremyisms are “Justly determination and hope help you to overcome your obstacles,” and “I justly think you greatly grow realizing your hunger for life.”
The term Jeremyism was coined by his support staff for Jeremy’s insights that he types on his keyboard.
His twitter page description reads “have autism and a keyboard. God must have been out of voices when he made me.”
Jeremy began using a letterboard to facilitate communication when he was 13. He progressed to a lite writer and more recently an IPAD with a key guard with a plastic hole to help guide his hand.
In 2010 Jeremy, who had been recommended for institutionalization when he was first diagnosed with severe autism, passed the California High School Exit Exam on his first try. He graduated from high school with a full academic diploma and a GPA of 3.75. His commencement speech still inspires.
In September of 2012, Jeremy experienced a series of dreams over five nights in which he was painting people’s colors. He called these “aura dreams.”
After the fifth night Jeremy said to his mom, “I had a dream I painted 10 paintings and I had a showing in an art gallery. Do you think this could be true?”
Chantal Sicile-Kira, his practical mom, replied, “Show me the art.”
From that came a series of paintings (which Jeremy describes below). He created these paintings with the help of Christina, a support person for Jeremy. Ironically, Chantal and Jeremy had no idea that Christina had an extensive background in art until Jeremy expressed his desire to paint.
“I greatly truly had a dream I painted my friend Ted. The painting was very green. It had some
dark red from his fear of flying. It was green in a very peaceful manner. Luckily the green is very
uplifting as well. My Ted is universally a calm giant. In this painting Ted was truly beautiful. Nicely forest green but with yellow representing his happiness at having friends over for a barbecue.”
“I greatly dreamt that I painted the bad boy. It was black and red and green but muddy green. My
great mom justly made his colors hide behind the brightness she greatly has. I nicely feel that my
mom believes I am safe but cannot guarantee it. Greatly the painting is full of bad colors. Nicely my mom’s brightness is represented by purple. I greatly feel protected by her.
Really I had another very bad dream where the bad boy’s very bad personality was very nicely
painted by me. It was green badly threatened by reds and black ,and beautiful caring purple was
trying to break out of the messy murkiness. Greatly the purple won in the end. Dear silver helped.”
In December, Jeremy and his younger sister Rebecca painted a collaborative painting from Jeremy’s dream. Chantal says this has been a healing experience for Jeremy and Rebecca.
“Rebecca is so verbal. It’s sometimes hard for her to connect with Jeremy. They both share a love of music,” Chantal says. “The art has helped them become closer.”
They created this piece when listening to music.
In February Jeremy had five paintings on display at the Fred Conference.
The below painting of Obama is more textured and complex.
“I had a great dream that I painted the aura of President Obama. I greatly felt his worries for the country. President Obama was green with the calm of intelligent reflection. The green was like the forest green greatly full of strokes of ivory symbolizing hope for the future and love for all people. He had red undertones for the anxiety he feels for his beloved country. Our great Obama will have tough times but he will greatly, justly, kindly lead the way to a better future, symbolized by the color purple.”
Jeremy painted the painting below as a donation to help raise funds for the Artist in Residency Program and the It’s All About the Kids Foundation in San Diego.
Chantal recounts, “The curator of the exhibit, Alexander Salazar, was so moved when reading Jeremy’s story at the auction that he stopped several times and turned away from the audience. At the end of reading about Jeremy, he decided to buy the painting himself for $500. All the other paintings had gone for much less except one other that Alex himself had bought.”
Jeremy recently completed a commissioned piece of art. His “aura” drawings are garnering much attention.
One can purchase reproductions of Jeremy’s “aura” art at events and through his facebook page.
Besides art and writing, Jeremy is an autism advocate. Jeremy’s advocacy includes the position of youth representative to the United Nations representing the Autism Research Institute. He serves as one of four Youth Leaders for the Autistic Global Initiative. Jeremy and his mom have authored a book together “A Full Life with Autism.”
Jeremy hopes to move out of his parent’s home with supports in the near future.
You can find out more about Jeremy on his website www.jeremysicilekira.com on on his facebook page Jeremy’s Vision.
Postscript – Since writing this blog Jeremy moved out of his home at age 25. His mom Chantal writes about Jeremy’s journey to independence.
I REALLY like the stories and the way he tells them, combined with the colorful and passionate work. It’s so nice to see they are getting noticed.