He couldn't tie his shoelaces.
Nor could he feed himself.
But Alonzo Clemons can mold clay
into amazingly detailed animal figures -
they are correct in every detail.
Every fibre, every muscle is accurate.
Alonzo is an artistic savant.
"He was always trying to sculpt things as a child.
But I didn't realise what he was doing", says Alonzo's mother, Evelyn Clemons.
Suffering brain damage after a fall,
3-year-old Alonzo became severely disabled.
But even as a child, he can see a fast-moving image of an animal on tv,
and in less than 20 minutes, sculpt a perfect replica of that animal in 3D.
Only with his hand. 100% accurately.
According to experts, Alonzo, like other savants,
can't help but do what they do (e.g. some could resist counting).
In Alonzo's case, sculpting is a compulsion from his brain.
It's not a choice. He can't help but sculpt all the time.
Take a look at Alonzo here:
Pam Driscol, owner of Driscol gallery has been helping Alonzo manage his career
as an artist by getting his work featured in the World Premier.
This has increased Alonzo's self esteem tremendously.
The most famous piece from Alonzo is the
life-size bronze sculpture - Three Frolicking Foals.
Alonzo's artistic ability has sort of 'reclaimed' himself.
Now, he is an established artist.
His vocabulary has expanded,
he supports himself well by selling his sculptures.
and he is more and more comfortable socially.
Not only that, he now lives independently.
"God takes, but God gives so much in return, "says Mrs. Clemons.
Argh! I'm going crazy.
(Gasp! Maybe then I'll turn into a genius!)
These people are so amazing right?
I never knew they ever existed.
We live in such a breathtaking world.
Everyday, there are new opportunities to prove that.
There're such much that we don't know,
Things about our world. About this whole universe. About others. And ourselves.
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