KUALA LUMPUR: Having dyspraxia, a developmental disorder of the brain in childhood causing difficulty in activities requiring coordination and movement, has not stopped Luqman Hakim Khairul Azwa.
In fact, the 16-year-old has found a way to express his emotions – through a unique series of artworks brought on from seeing his teacher’s pet dog getting involved in an accident.
The 71 pieces of art are now on show at Galeri Prima Balai Berita in Jalan Riong, in an exhibition entitled “Art stories by Luqman Hakim & Woofy Looking for Vincent Van Gogh”.
The teen’s 49-year-old mother Aida Lim Abdullah said the exhibition charts Luqman Hakim’s journey alongside a dog named “Woofy” in a search for Dutch Post-Impressionist artist Vincent van Gogh.
“If you look at each piece of art, there is always a black dog named Woofy. Woofy is a mandatory character in his art.
“Luqman Hakim is not like other people with dyspraxia... he is very sensitive and good at expressing these emotions. The sadness he felt at seeing his teacher’s dog in an accident led to him creating Woofy and putting the dog in each of his artwork as his friend,” she said after the opening of the exhibition on Friday.
Present at the launch were New Straits Times Press chief executive officer Datuk Seri Abdul Jalil Hamid and Retirement Fund Incorporated (KWAP) chief executive officer Datuk Wan Kamaruzaman Wan Ahmad.
Both spent time touring the exhibition before breaking their fast with 40 orphans from Rumah Raudhatul Nurr Jannah in Gombak.
The exhibition will run till June 29. Galeri Prima is open to the public from 10am to 5pm on weekdays, but appointments for viewing have to be made ahead of time for weekends.
Those with enquiries can contact Galeri Prima at 03-27248300.