KARACHI: Vibrant canvases lined the gallery walls as individuals with Down syndrome gathered at the Arts Council of Pakistan (ACP) in Karachi this week to present their artwork, turning the fourth edition of ‘Rangon Ki Lehr’ exhibition into a celebration of creativity, resilience and self-expression.
Organized under the guidance of the Karachi Down Syndrome Program (KDSP), the exhibition featured paintings created by students trained through its ‘Education for Life’ program, which encourages individuals aged 14 and above to explore art as a pathway to personal and professional growth.
The event drew families, art enthusiasts and supporters who admired bold colors, textured strokes and imaginative scenes as they moved through the gallery, observing the art pieces that reflected not only artistic skills but also the inner worlds of their creators.
Visitors looking at paintings by young artists with Downs Syndrome displayed at the Arts Council of Pakistan (ACP) in Karachi on April 10, 2026. (AN Photo)
But for many participants, the exhibition was not just a display of talent but a rare platform that offered both emotional validation and financial empowerment as proceeds from the artwork sales go directly to the artists themselves.
“They have got amazing talent... the use of the colors, the medium, the expression. It is amazing,” KDSP co-founder Ali Allawala told Arab News, pointing to the teenaged artists and their families at the exhibition.
“Look at the beaming smiles on their faces. They are proud of their work. Look at the families. The pride with which they stand that the work that has been created by their children is being appreciated by the world.”
More than 90 paintings by 80 artists have been displayed at the KDSP art exhibitions over the course of the last four editions. This year featured the artworks of a maximum number of individuals with Down syndrome not just from different parts of Karachi but also Islamabad and Faisalabad, according to the organizers.
Allawala shared 100 percent proceeds from artwork sales at the exhibitions, which have been annually held since 2022 with an exception of 2023, go back to the students who created them.
“It’s financially empowering to them as well. It sort of builds their self-esteem,” he added.
Allawala’s first born, Alaiyah, is an individual with Down syndrome.
A young artist with Down syndrome interacts with visitors at the Arts Council of Pakistan (ACP) in Karachi on April 10, 2026. (AN Photos)
While she had access to facilities across the globe, more than 300,000 other individuals with Down syndrome in Pakistan did not have the same privilege, according to the KDSP co-founder.
This compelled Allawala and others to lay the foundation of KDSP non-profit organization back in 2014.
Alaiyah made two paintings for the exhibition.
“I am so excited to be here,” she told Arab News on Friday. “I have made two paintings [displayed here] today. One is a forest which is my favorite. I love nature.”
The individuals with Down syndrome take complete charge of their work, according to a representative of the KDSP’s Education for Life (EFL) program.
“So, it’s basically them and we are just there to facilitate the whole process where they find it difficult to move around or [make] some strokes,” Soha Abbas told Arab News.
“We make them choose the size of the canvas, the colors, the technique they would want to use [and] the way they would want to move the color around. But usually it’s almost them doing the whole work.”
While these individuals might not be able to articulate themselves through words, they knew how to express themselves.
“When it comes to [creating] art, they express their feelings through which we [try to] understand them,” shared Adeela Hammad, mother of a girl with Down syndrome.
“When she paints, she is immersed in colors. She loves to play with colors,” Hammad said, bursting with emotions.
“She wants to pursue painting … This will help her mentally and emotionally because painting and colors give one inner peace.”
Her daughter, 16-year-old Eshaal, thoroughly enjoyed the process of being recognized for her artwork as people dropped by and clicked pictures with her while she was showcasing her painting.
“[I used] purple and blue to make this painting,” she said, expressing that the painting was a reflection of her happiness and love.
“[It took me] one week.”
But for Hasan Junaid, a 21-year-old individual with cognitive disability, the exhibition was a chance to earn money for his mother.
“The painting that I have made, I have mixed peach, blue and orange colors [for it]. It has buildings and mountains. I really liked that people came to check my work [at the exhibition] and liked it,” he said.
“I made this painting so that I could make money and give it to my mother.”
