KENT BASED artist, Sam Latter, has seen his art career take off with his collection being exhibited at The Walrus and Oyster Emporium in Canterbury.
Sam, a 30-year-old autistic person, has been creating his cartoon digital art from pencil drawings since 2018, using it to tell stories of friendship, finding love, and overcoming barriers.
Support workers at Endurance Care Broadstairs, a business providing supported living services to Sam over the past 12 years, have empowered him to develop life skills that have led to him achieving his dream of having his work on sale in a local gallery. Sam’s success has continued as he has recently sold three pieces of his art via The Walrus and Oyster Emporium where it is displayed to an international buyer in Holland.
Speaking about his achievement, Sam said: “The opportunity to have my work showcased really is like a door to a new life, everything has started to change. People believing in my work and the stories behind them show that other people like me do not have to shy away from their ambitions – it’s about asking for help or advice and being proud of what you’ve achieved so far.”
Endurance Care support workers have been an integral part of Sam’s success and progress, previously working alongside him to achieve an appearance on the Channel 4 reality TV show The Undateables in 2017 and writing an article for the National Autistic Society in 2020 about his experience of lockdown, before empowering him to build a friendship with the local art gallery manager to exhibit his work.
Emma Stott, service manager at Endurance Care Broadstairs, said: “Sam’s achievement acts as an example of how autistic people can achieve any goals they set for themselves. It’s been so rewarding to work with Sam and see how much he has accomplished. His independence has grown significantly over the past 12 years and that’s exactly what we strive to help unlock for all the people we support. We’re immensely proud of him.”
Sam’s future goals involve continuing to develop his art and animation, voice acting one of his own stories, and continuing his passion for travel, having already visited many places including Australia, Singapore, and Las Vegas.
