He’s just 14 and making some of the most unique waves in the local art scene. Not to mention brushes of inspiration for other young Autistic artists.
With a design business centred around pop culture figures and hype art under his belt, at an age when most teenagers are still deciding what to do with their lives; Clayden Botes has shown that Autism is not a prison sentence.
This is the story of the kid from Kalk Bay and his autistic-artistic adventure.
As an art lover myself, the first thing I’m always nosey to know what inspires any artist (especially when their designs burst with so much life). So, this was the first question I posed to Clayden’s mother Antoinette, writes Cape {town} Etc’s Ashleigh Nefdt.
“Clayden used to watch Youtube videos of his favourite artists to get inspiration when he was younger, but nowadays he will just sit down & draw whatever comes to mind – he takes inspiration from nature & loves working on new characters and worlds,” Antoinette tells me.
It’s these inspirations that are the building blocks of Cladyensdesigns; the home of Clayden’s worlds.
Claydensdesigns was born out of a ‘back against the wall situation’ and a necessary opportunity.
Antoinette had lost her job, and schools were closed due to COVID-19. She decided to take her son out of school for two reasons. The first related to his Autism where “structure is crucial, and the uncertainty of what’s going on at school played a big part in his emotional wellbeing.”
The second was because he struggled in school. “He just could not get the reading & writing under his belt and because of that he was teased a lot,” says Antoinette.
A means to distance himself saw Clayden drawing.
“When I took Clayden out of school, the stress of being bullied & the pressure from teachers were not there anymore and Clayden just blossomed,” his mother explains.
However, despite Clayden’s newfound artistic freedom, financial freedom was an entirely separate matter.
“We got to a point where I had to make a plan to make money and the idea of printing on shirts came up, so ClaydensDesigns was born. 18 months ago out of desperation to make some money to feed us….it very quickly escalated into printing of canvasses, bedding & now shorts, leggings, towels & cargo pants,” Antoinette tells.
Clayden’s art leans on a spectrum of mediums, from Acrylic to clay. Mostly though, he’s doing digital designs: one of the fastest-growing markets in the art world.
As talented as he may be, his extra superpower comes from the fact that he’s achieved all he has whilst having Autism – something that for many —who don’t know stories like his— is synonymous with setback.
I asked Clayden what advice he would give to other creatives like him.
“He will always tell people – don’t let people judge you or put labels on you, do what makes you happy, work hard, believe in yourself and never give up on your dreams…stay humble, focused and persevere,” says Antoinette.
Of what Antoinette would appreciate other parents with Autistic children to know, Antoinette says:
“What I would say to other parents with Autistic children is to stop reading and believing everything you see on the internet – don’t listen to advice from parents, not in your shoes, TRUST your instincts and forget about what your child can not do and concentrate on what he can do. Society is so easy to label our kids, to put them in boxes…Autism is not a disability in my eyes. It’s a different ability, it’s not a sentence it’s merely a diagnosis.”
April is Autism Awareness/Acceptance Month, and sharing stories like Claydens serves as a way for society to appreciate Autistic people for their incredible talents void of the stigmatism.
