Toronto family showcases five-year-old daughter's artwork on World Down Syndrome Day
A dozen hand-drawn, and sometimes abstract, pieces of art are on display in west-end Toronto. The gallery debut is a major upgrade for the artist -- whose usual canvases include her parent’s hallways and refrigerator.
Five-year-old Olly Sardelic, who was born with Down Syndrome, picked up the craft during the COVID-19 pandemic and, as her father explains it, she quickly produced a number of works.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
“We were indoors so much and as an activity we took on drawing as sort of a daily routine and she really took to it,” Tom Sardelic told CTV News Toronto.
Her creations, some of which are bursting with colour and others strictly monochromatic, feature images of flowers, family, birds, and ice cream in an almost neo-expressionist style.
On Tuesday, Sardelic’s parents unveiled a dozen of those pieces at a small studio in the city’s Queen West neighbourhood to mark World Down Syndrome Day.
“We just want her to sort of experience it without it being tainted by the parents,” Tom said. “We thought, this is perfect, we could exhibit her work. We’ve been stockpiling it for so many years now.”
Five-year-old Olly Sardelic is seen amongst her drawings in Toronto on March 21, 2023.
Sardelic’s grandfather, a creative in his own right as an acclaimed sculptor and painter, was there for Tuesday’s show and celebrated his granddaughter’s talents.
“She’s discovering her ability. To us, she’s incredible,” Ante Sardelic said.
The solo exhibition is on now until April 1.
With files from CTV News Toronto's Scott Lightfoot
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
Crypt near Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner could fetch US$400,000 at auction
A one-space mausoleum crypt in the vicinity of Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner will go on auction Saturday, when it is expected to reach between US$200,000 and $400,000.
This Toronto restaurant is no longer accepting tips. Here's how it's going
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff – tipping is no longer accepted.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Premiers not being truthful about carbon tax, Trudeau says while sparks fly in Ottawa
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Conservative premiers across the country are 'not telling the truth' when it comes to the carbon tax. Trudeau's comments came as fresh sparks were flying in Ottawa at a recalled House of Commons committee.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.
What new auto insurance reforms will mean for Ontarians, if they get introduced
Ontario has among the highest rates for auto insurance premiums in Canada -- just below Alberta and Nova Scotia -- however, the introduction of an insurance reform in the provincial budget could soon lower prices.