Jon shows that the skys the limit in Deafblind Awareness Week

Jon, a resident artist at Henshaws Arts & Crafts Centre, has been deaf from birth and has Retinitis Pigmentosa which results in tunnel vision; he also has additional learning difficulties.

 

However, he does not let this get in the way of fulfilling his passion for creating works of art. Over the last 16 years, Jon has become one of the centre’s most accomplished artists; he has held exhibitions to display his work, as well as receiving a grant from the Arts Council to work with acclaimed Escrick-based sculptor, Peter Maris.

 

Jon – who was a student at Henshaws College and now lives in one of our Harrogate based community houses – works at the centre four days a week, predominantly in the 3D sculpture and paper workshops where he creates large scale pieces using a combination of papier-mâché and cardboard techniques.

 

Phill Hopkins, manager of the Arts & Crafts Centre, said “Jon is an absolute pleasure to work with because he is extremely enthusiastic about his work, which is inspiring and fascinating to witness. We communicate with Jon by signing to him whilst holding his hands, and finger spelling to him.

 

“Everything that he has achieved just goes to show that deafblindness does not need to be as restricting as so many people assume. Jon is the perfect person to raise awareness about dual sensory impairment this week, I am sure Helen Keller would have been proud!”

 

CEO of Henshaws Yorkshire, Caroline Smale, said: “Deafblind Awareness Week is an excellent opportunity for us to raise awareness of visual and hearing impairment and celebrate the achievements of our art makers, as well as students at Henshaws College. We are extremely proud of their independence and it’s a pleasure to be able to focus on their successes.”

Those interested in looking at Jon’s work can see it at Henshaws Arts & Crafts Centre on Bond End in Knaresborough.