Too often, people with learning disabilities are not taken seriously as artists, even if they have been developing and honing their skill for years.

But in 2024, L’Arche Kent organised an exhibition at The Beaney House of Art & Knowledge, Canterbury, to mark their fiftieth anniversary. It featured works by artists with learning disabilities from across L’Arche UK.

The exhibition was curated by two autistic people, supported by a wider creative team. Where framing was required, the exhibition used recycled materials, sourced and restored by members and volunteers from L’Arche.  

The painting above was one of the works in the exhibition by Peter Heyman, one of the founding members of L’Arche Kent. Peter never went to art school, but over decades developed an individual style, inspired by the life around him, that is at once abstract and based on use of colour. The exhibition was the first time Peter Heyman's work has been shown in public.  

Watch the short video below to see Peter Heyman and several other artists introducing their work at the exhibition. Further down, you can see how Dean sold one of his pieces to a local buyer following the exhibition.