Heather Sarabia - September 2024

"I didn’t choose to become an artist, I am one.

My art is a point of grounding for me.

Art gives my lonely heart the purpose to move forward.

My favorite part of being an artist is going to art shows and seeing people smile.

I can express my treatment by society because of my autism through my art."

- Heather Sarabia

Heather Sarabia was a published poet and painter with autism who lived in Madison Wisconsin. She developed her paintings through sweeping motions, creating layers of brush strokes rich with movement and gesture. Despite being nonverbal, she was a prolific writer, typing out poetry and prose with assistance. Her writing centered on her lived experience and hope for justice. Through her work, she consistently strived to gain freedom from the systems of dependence that left her feeling trapped.