Nine years after a psychosis diagnosis, eight years after a diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer's, and two years after the disruption of his world by the pandemic, artist Jon Williams is still here.

And Williams, who has Down Syndrome, is here with his latest exhibition Dis-IS-Ability 3, which opened on March 9 at Studio Joli in St James.

Williams’ mother Arlene Williams said when he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2016, she was told he had five years before cognitive deterioration took place.

[caption id="attachment_1069907" align="alignnone" width="503"] Hold On! A painting by artist Jon Williams. - Photo courtesy Studio Joli.[/caption]

“I needed people to see again, this is an intellectual disability, this is psychosis, so mental illness, and this is early-onset Alzheimer's, and a young man who has these painted that.

“The fact that he can produce this kind of work says something to me about the human spirit and about the brain. To me it says, ‘Look, we’re still here!’ Look at where we are by the grace of God. There have been challenges but we continue to power through.

“What do you then do with a relative who has one of these debilitating diagnoses? Will it make somebody stop and think, ‘If Jon could do this, am I limiting my child?’”

[caption id="attachment_1069904" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Black-throated Mango by Jon Williams will be on display at the Dis-IS-Ability exhibition at Studio Joli in St James. - Photo courtesy Studio Joli[/caption]

She recalled, in 2015 when Williams got the diagnosis of unspecified schizophrenia spectrum disorder, the initial set of medication left him debilitated. She was looking for anything that could bring her son “back to himself” and so went with Williams to a Sip and Paint session hosted by a friend.

His painting was very good and Williams thoroughly enjoyed it so she started looking for a teacher willing to work with him. She did and is very grateful.

The teacher, who wished to remain unidentified, said she was proud of Williams’ work. She noticed some improvements in the way he followed instructions and his attention to detail.

She said her process involved trying to see things the way Willaims saw them and guiding him through the process of putting it on canvas. She said pulling what was inside of him out was exhausting but fulfilling as he had “a good eye.”

[caption id="attachment_1069905" align="alignnone" width="1024"] A painting of a derelict house in Chaguaramas by Jon Williams. - Photo courtesy Studio Joli[/caption]

She added that he enjoyed painting and being in the studio, which was especially evident when he finished a canvas as he would square his shoulders and sit back with a sense of accomplishment surrounding him.

Arlene stressed that the pandemic was extremely difficult for Jon, who will be 43 this year.

She said he was a very active and social person. He attends the Lady Hochoy Vocational Centre, enjoys action movies, working out at the gym and painting but he could do none of that during the lockdown which led to ne