The Human Camera

"As a child, Stephen was mute and did not relate to other human beings. Aged three, he was diagnosed as autistic. He had no language, uncontrolled tantrums and lived entirely in his own world.

At the age of five, Stephen was sent to Queensmill School in London, a school for children with special needs, where it was noticed that the only pastime he enjoyed was drawing. It soon became apparent he communicated with the world through the language of drawing; first animals, then London buses, and finally buildings. These drawings show a masterful perspective, a whimsical line and reveal a natural innate artistry.

Aged eight, Stephen started drawing cityscapes after the effects of an earthquake (all imaginary) as a result of being shown photographs of earthquakes in a book at school. He also became obsessed with cars and illustrations of cars at this time (his knowledge of them is encyclopaedic) and he drew most of the major London landmarks.

The teachers at Queensmill School encouraged him to speak by temporarily taking away his art supplies so that he would be forced to ask for them. Stephen responded by making sounds and eventually uttered his first word - "paper." He learned to speak fully at the age of nine."

See the provided link to learn more about Stephen's story.

In May 2005 following a short helicopter ride over Tokyo, Stephen Wiltshire drew a stunningly detailed panoramic view of the city on a 10-meter-long canvas. Since then he has drawn Rome, Hong Kong and Frankfurt on giant canvasses. Click the weblink provided to see his panoramic drawing of Tokyo. Watch the YouTube to see how he did the same thing after a 45 minute helicopter ride over Rome.