Mom and daughter Malu and Clarissa Ortiz’s ‘Special Kind of Art’

MANILA, Philippines - Malu Tiongson-Ortiz and her daughter Clarissa, a young artist with Down syndrome, will showcase their portraits and paintings in “A Special Kind of Art,” which is slated from Sept. 5 to 8 at Fishermall, Quezon Ave., QC.

For Malu, parenting a child with special needs is a God-given privilege. She not only takes good care of Clarissa, but has also honed her artistic bent.

“Homeschooling a person who is hearing-impared is very challenging. For Clarissa to understand what I am teaching, I have to draw everything. I had no other way to teach her except through pictures and signs. I taught Clarissa to identify everything through pictures. She is learning more and more words, and is able to spell them from memory after practice and repetition,” Malu relates.

At 15, Clarissa started copying Malu’s drawings of men and women. She even drew for herself stylized portraits of family members and friends. Clarissa uses vibrant colors and the color combinations she chooses are amazing. Her drawings of women are very detailed — with eyelids, eyelashes, eyebrows, teeth, tongue, grooves of the ears even accessories like earrings and necklaces.

For the show, Malu and Clarissa will present 30 paintings, which are for sale.

For inquiries, call or SMS 0917-9486494 or email event organizer Theresa Sion at thess.sion@gmail.com.