The month of April is Autism Awareness Month, and one Black British artist on the spectrum has shown how complexly and beautifully his mind works.

Despite being diagnosed with autism at the age of three, Stephen Wiltshire has gone on to become one of the most celebrated artists in Britain. His specialty is being able to accurately draw complete city landscapes after only one cursory glance. Despite struggling with language from an early age, his drawings are able to tell a story that words alone can't convey.

Wilshire has been commissioned by the British prime Minister, has published books of drawings, has a gallery in Central London, and his photograph welcomes visitors to London’s Heathrow airport.

He has drawn cities around the world, from Jerusalem to Sydney to Mexico City.

The estimated prevalence of savant abilities such as Wiltshire’s is 10 percent for people with autism; in the non-autistic population, including those with severe developmental disabilities, the ability is less than 1 percent.

It's a wake-up call to remember that just because our minds don't all work the same doesn't mean we all don't have strengths and weaknesses that can be quite amazing.

stephen wiltshire

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