Acrylic on canvas, stretched and ready to hang.

Signed on the front.

“For the Ears of ADHDers and Autistics” is a classic example of Sesto’s work that explores the theme of neurodiversity. This hyper-detailed work, centred around the focal point of the portrait’s ear began with the singular intention to visualise the sensitive hearing experienced by many with ADHD and most on the Autism spectrum. Individuals who experience these conditions are unable to filter sounds, and experience all sounds with greater loudness; to the point of being able to hear small background noises that may be imperceptible to others. This is a daily frustration of the artist, who has ADHD, when trying to navigate public life. The butterflies fluttering around the ear materialise this idea through the hyperbole that human hearing could be so sensitive, that the beating of the butterflies’ wings would be heard.

The idea was then expanded to note various aspects individuals with ADHD and Autism have in common. Both groups have a different perception of time as represented by the clock in the sky which sits in the position of the sun. Both groups also process emotions differently to neurotypical individuals, as shown by the emoji stickers on the brick wall which jumble about in a parody of Henri Matisse’s artwork “The Snail”.