Disability and the creative process (with Michael A. Williams)
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Qudsiya is joined by visually impaired, self- taught artist Michael A. Williams for a discussion about disability and the creative process. Michael and Qudsiya talk about his artistic techniques, what drew him to add electronic music composition to his artistic portfolio, and how his art wound up in the collection of our 44th president, Barack Obama.
About the guest:
Michael A. Williams is a self-taught artist and founder of the International Association for Sight Impaired Artists. Williams is a native of Memphis, Tennessee and has an eye disorder known as Stargardt's Disease (Macular Degenerative), and has been visually impaired since birth. He has been drawing and painting since the age of 10. He has received many awards for his creations, including placing third out of 400 entries in the 2009 American Printing House for the Blind "Insight Art Competition for Blind and Visually Impaired" with his painting “Sunset Tow.”
In 2015, Williams received a letter from President Obama congratulating him on his accomplishments as a visually impaired artist and the Federal Executive Association "Outstanding Disabled Federal Employee of the Year" for the Memphis Region. In 2017, he won the Federal Employee Association’s “Outstanding Disabled Federal Employee of the Year” award. That same year, he received another letter from President Obama, this time to accept an artwork given to the President as a gift along with two abstract paintings Williams' mother (Mattie L. Williams), to add to the President's art collection.
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