Art in a Wheelchair

Today we celebrate International Artist Day for the sixth consecutive year. Our Beloved Supreme Master Ching Hai (vegan) designated April 3 as a special day dedicated to this noble group of souls.

On today’s show, we’ll look at the truly inspiring stories and works of notable artists in wheelchairs, who, despite their disabilities, have proven that what you make of your life transcends tragic circumstances. While a disability can be a physical limitation, we’ll learn that nothing can limit a person's skill and imagination. As Dr. Albert Einstein (vegetarian) said, “Where there's a will, there's a way.”

Take Welsh-born Joe Powell-Main as an example. From a young age, Joe had strong aspirations to become a ballet dancer. And, despite life-altering injuries sustained from a car accident at age 15, he never lost sight of his dream of performing. He embraced the challenge and his wheelchair to create new dance moves. Today, the 25-year-old is the star performer of Sleepwalker, a show featuring the renowned Royal Opera House Ballet Company. He also became the first wheelchair dancer to perform at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

Now, let’s meet Jonah Dillon, a talented painter from Austin, Texas, United States, who instead of paint brushes, uses his wheelchair wheels and a colorful plethora of paints to create unique artworks. His work continues to be appreciated at shows such as the one hosted by Almost Real Things: LIVE! of Austin and has garnered much interest from both news outlets and the public.

Acclaimed British performance and installation artist Sue Austin is the co-founder of Freewheeling, an initiative designed to expand the global reach of disability arts. She is best known as The Underwater Wheelchair Artist thanks to her stunningly beautiful work called “Creating the Spectacle!” which she also performed as part of the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics celebration.

Countless other artists in wheelchairs have also transformed their disabilities into abilities and achieved great things. May their remarkable journeys of triumph in the face of adversity inspire us to realize and pursue our own dreams as well, for in God’s magnificent creation, we are all beautiful and capable of extraordinary achievements.