Child Picasso
Paris, New York, London Docklands are featured in an exhibition of drawings by Stephen Wiltshire, the autistic child artist whose work has been likened to that of Picasso and Augustus John.
The exhibition, which opened yesterday at the Building Centre in London, features about 70 drawings which also appear in his second book, Cities.
Stephen's work was first shown two years ago on the BBC's QED programme, 'The Foolish Wise Ones', and Sir Hugh Casson, former president of the royal Academy, described him as possibly the best child artist in Britain.
His latest work encompasses the Chrysler Building, the Empire State Building, Paris Opera House, Sacre Coeur, Notre-Dame, the Pompidou Centre, as well as St Martin-in –the-Fields, the Lloyd's building in the City of London, and Michael Crawford in The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway.
The boy, who is 15, has overcome some of his earlier language impairment and social withdrawal, while extending his artistic talent. Mrs. Geneva Wiltshire, his mother, said: 'Stephen enjoys all of it, and has had wonderful experiences. He has been to many places. He is always happy when he is drawing. Stephen used to be a lost and lonely boy. Now he is really enjoying his life.'