#SUPERHEROJIJO
“Jijo is an enigma and a living example of what one can achieve if they put their heart and soul into their passion, even if they are bound by limitations. It is this unflinching focus that inspires all of us in his family to strive towards the impossible and help him make his dreams come true.”
A warm-hearted, extremely loving & affectionate soul who finds his world in movies and comic books, Jijo Das is a passionate artist & illustrator with Down Syndrome.
He may have been a slow learner when it came to cognitive skills due to this condition, but ever since he learnt how to hold a pencil/chalk he started doing what he loves.
His immense tenacity to consistently attempt at mastering the craft and never give up, has made him do things that surprised each one of us.
His first art exhibition in Spastics Society of Karnataka, during their winter carnival in 2017, was sold out and he had close to 100 back orders that were sent out in a month!
Sketches did not only restrict themselves in sketch books, they travelled in his school note books as well! This surprised his faculty and got him featured in his school magazines as an anomaly for his exceptional work!
He has also been featured by Save Down Syndrome, Zen Pencils, Sandal Gap Studio and many others. He was schooled in various parts of the country which helped him to evolve into a confident individual!
He was invited to be the chief guest and the judge of the art competition for an inter-school inclusive fest named Smayan in Kolkata. This was organised by Sushila Birla Girls High School and we were asked to present his life's journey too after a little drum solo by him!
But this dedication and passion towards the subject wouldn’t earn him an admission in any design school for obvious reasons. But that didn’t mean he would deter from his goal! This is where his family stepped in and started experimenting with various teaching methods to help him learn what he craved for.
Head to the next page to know more.