Birds of the World by Hope Flynn at Tansley Woods Recreation Centre, Burlington, Ontario. Photo courtesy: City of Burlington.
When the City of Burlington put out a call for public art proposals to celebrate the city’s diversity, OCAD University grad Hope Flynn didn’t give it a second thought.
As an emerging artist living with autism, Flynn was inspired to submit her proposal for Birds of the World, a project that represents the fact that one out of every 66 births in Canada will be born within the autism spectrum.
Flynn’s project, originally created for her Drawing and Painting thesis project at OCAD U, was selected as one of four pieces to be displayed across the city.
“My installation at Tansley Woods Recreation Centre means a lot to me,” says Flynn. “These birds reflect on my personal life, as I was diagnosed with autism.”
Flynn could not speak until she was four years old and could only communicate through the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS). “Just like autism, each bird is different, like a snowflake,” adds Flynn. “Each bird may seem similar, but each bird looks and acts differently. I hope my Birds of the World series educates people and raises awareness for autism.”
Since graduating from OCAD University in 2018 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree specializing in Drawing and Painting, Flynn successfully launched hopeflynnart custom pet paintings. Her artworks have been sold to collectors from as far away as China, Norway, the U.K., Singapore, and Mexico.
“I hope to create community engagement with my art that brightens someone’s day,” says Flynn.
With this positive attitude, Flynn hasn’t let life’s obstacles get in the way. As a teen, she developed scoliosis that required her to wear a back brace for 16 hours a day. Because she was unable to participate in sports, it provided her with the opportunity to develop and improve her skills in painting.
“I remember learning about the artist Frida Kahlo and learning how she created artwork about her disability, which inspired me to create artwork about my disability–autism–which affects every aspect of life,” says Flynn.
Flynn credits OCAD U with the education and support she needed to become a professional artist. “I would not be the professional artist I am today without the OCAD U community, peers, faculty and professors.”
“In my first year as an OCAD University student, we were allowed to experiment with different mediums such as sculpture, animation, photography, drawing, and painting. This gave me the opportunity to go outside my comfort zone and learn different career paths in the art field,” she adds.
“As well, OCAD University offers career development programs such as field placement and creative entrepreneurship, where I learned from advising officers, OCAD U alumni, and guest speakers how to make income from multiple sources.”
