

The 32-year-old Grand Rapids resident was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at the age of 6. While he developed language at age 4, his words were lost by the time he reached 20. He communicates by spelling out words on a letter board, which was how he first told his parents that he wanted to try his hand at painting. He often uses color metaphors in his writing, describing the sunrise as “early morning pink” and feelings of anger and frustration as “sick yellow.” Artist Shannon Harris notes that Josh has a natural ability to balance his paintings with bold strokes and vibrant colors.
These are Joshua's official ArtPrize entries from this year and past years.