Twenty minutes of observation was
all British artist Stephen Wiltshire needed before intricately sketching
Sydney's skyline entirely from memory.
Three days after examining the CBD from atop Sydney Tower, he has rebuilt the
city on a square metre of paper.
Stretching across the harbour and into North Sydney, every detail has been
captured - the exact number of windows on each skyscraper, the cars on the roads
below and yachts on the city's famous harbour.
As well as being a world-renowned artist, Wiltshire is autistic.
He was brought to Sydney by Autism Spectrum Australia to raise awareness
about the disorder often characterised by impaired communication skills and
repetitive behaviour.
Wiltshire was mute and unable to communicate through language when diagnosed
at age three but it was also when his savant artistic abilities began to
emerge.
Since then he has learned to speak and sketched some of the world's greatest
cities: Rome, Hong Kong, Jerusalem, London and New York.
He has been named a Member of the Order of British Empire and has his own
gallery in Pall Mall, London.
Speaking at the unveiling of his drawing at Customs House in Circular Quay on
Friday, Wiltshire described Sydney as a "beautiful city" and one he would like
to revisit.
He also thanked his fans for their support.
"Most important is my fans who have followed my work over the years and
supported me in my passion for drawing. I love you all," said the
36-year-old.
"Thank you for buying my prints and please feel free to buy plenty more."
About 50 fans were gathered for the unveiling, many requesting photos with
him and posing with his artwork.
NSW Premier Kristina Keneally also congratulated Wiltshire on his
"delightful" work.
One fan, Lyn Naven, who has a relative with autism, described Wiltshire's
work as "amazing".
"It's just interesting to see ... it's a special gift isn't it? He's very
fortunate," she told AAP.
Autism Spectrum Australia spokesman Dr Trevor Clark says about 20 per cent of
autistic people have savant abilities but Wiltshire's level of talent is
rare.
"Stephen is a highly-gifted world-renowned artist and he happens to be a
person who has the disability of autism," Dr Clark said.
"Stephen looks at the world, looks at cities, looks at Sydney in a way that
you and I don't."
Dr Clark says Wiltshire is a role model for people with autism because his
skill, harnessed and supported by his family and carers, has given him the
ability to live an independent life.
While many people with autism have special abilities, ranging from music to
athletics or with numbers, very few can live independent lives because their
abilities are not identified and nurtured, he says.
Wiltshire's sister, Annette, urged anyone related to someone with autism to
"stay strong and stay positive" through what can be a tough journey.
"To every single mother, father, brother, sister, carers and schools ... as
long as you believe in yourself and your loved one, that's all that matters,"
she said
Wiltshire's sketches will be on display at Customs House until May 16.
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