sevymarieart - Instax

@sevymarieart is a talented 16-year-old artist. She’s non-verbal and has found her voice through her work. We love that she paints with lively colors, using self-taught techniques to bring her visions to life and express herself.

Sevy’s passion has led to Sandal Gap Studio, a place for artists of all abilities to come together and create in a space where they are completely free to be themselves, just like Sevy.

From a creative standpoint, what do you give? What’s the message behind your creativity? Sevy’s creativity comes with a powerful message of individualism. She is unapologetically herself. Her Down syndrome gifts her with the ability to live without any fear of judgement or what others might think of her or her art.

How did this all come about? What or who inspired you? Sevy is nonverbal and was adopted into our family at the age of 12. Her transition into our family was incredibly tough. After about a year home, she started drawing. Her drawings were detailed and layered with so much intention. I thought maybe she would enjoy expressing herself through painting. The moment she started painting was the moment she found her voice.

What role does instax play in your creative process? Sevy loves using her instax to photograph her work. Whether a piece in progress, or posing with a finished piece. She will organize her instax photos in a grid next to her on the ground and look at them while she paints, seemingly drawing inspiration.

In your free time, what kind of photos do you like to take? What are the moments that bring you joy?Sevy loves to photograph her siblings. She gets the most joy from being with her family in her art studio. Her brothers and sister are her biggest cheerleaders.

What’s your mantra in life? You don’t need words to speak.

*As narrated by Sevy’s mom, Lisa Eicher, and sister, Ace