We recently caught up with Henry Fraser, a renowned British artist, author and motivational speaker. In this interview, Henry shares insights into his artistic process, his perspectives on disability representation, and his hopes for a more inclusive society.
Can you start by telling us a bit about yourself, your life, and your journey as an artist?
Tomorrow, as we speak, will be 15 years from my accident. That’s when everything changed. I went from being a sporty young man to suddenly having my physicality taken away. It changed how I approach everything, and that led to art. I always loved drawing when I was young, but as I got older, I focused more on sports. After my accident, in 2015, I was stuck in bed with a bedsore, and I started drawing on my iPad. Everything just built up from there, and it’s been an exciting nine and a half years since.
What are you working on at the moment?
I’ve got an exhibition on September 14-15 at The Grove Hotel in Watford. The last few months I’ve been powering towards that. I’m pretty much done painting-wise. Usually, I’d theme it around subject matter, but this year, it’s more about the background colour of the image. A lot of my painting focuses on subjects from nature. My love for nature has grown because of my lack of ability to get outside regularly, especially in cold weather. So, I spend a lot of time looking out into my garden at the flowers, plants, and birds. I have a much greater appreciation for nature now, and that’s reflected in my work.
How do you think art can help shape and challenge public perceptions of disability?
Everyone has experienced art in some form, so people can immediately appreciate it, disabled or not. Art is a powerful vehicle to show what we (disabled people) can do despite the obstacles we might face. Disabled people are some of the most creative people going because we’re always having to think about obstacles and work our way around things every single day of our lives. We see everything differently. This creativity born from necessity allows us to bring a different viewpoint to our art. It challenges people’s perceptions by showing not just what we can do, but how we see and interact with the world. Art becomes a way to share our experiences and our innovative problem-solving skills with others.
What does “disability pride” mean to you?
It’s great that we have this month to share our stories and show who we are. There are 14.1 million of us in the UK alone, but we’re rarely represented in mainstream media, be that on TV, in cinema, or on radio. It’s important that people see us and understand what disability entails because the chance of acquiring a disability is actually quite high. Most disabilities are acquired in adult life, not from birth. So a big part of pride is about visibility and education.
The other part is about challenging perceptions. I’m a wheelchair user, and I often see ads or TV narratives that say ‘oh my god look, that person has ended up in a wheelchair’, ‘what an awful life’, and so on. But that’s not how it is at all. My wheelchair is my access to freedom, my access to move around, to see the world, to experience life. It’s a good thing I’m in this; otherwise, I’d be in bed and stuck doing nothing. So it’s not a negative thing at all, it’s just the opposite. Pride is an opportunity to reclaim that narrative and show that mobility aids are tools for empowerment and bringing out the best in us.
There was some kickback from disabled people when Channel 4 used the term ‘superhuman’ in their Paralympics ad. It felt patronising, like a pity look at disabled people. Whereas now, the focus of their new campaign is on showing that the people you see in the Paralympics are good, strong athletes doing incredible things. It’s about showing what we CAN do. When it comes to representation, people aren’t always going to get it right – we’re talking about decades of attitudes we have to reverse. But we have to keep at it, keep banging on that door, and letting people know what we bring to the table.
In what ways do you think the art world can become more inclusive and accessible?
To create art, you need to experience art. Galleries need to be more accessible in general. They’re getting better, but there’s still work to do. Having accessible websites for galleries makes a massive difference. We also need to see people with disabilities on boards of galleries and in creative leadership positions. So many decisions about the lives of disabled people are made by people who have no idea what it’s like to be disabled. Unless they go out and speak to people, work with disabled creatives – and not just one person, but multiple people – they can’t truly understand what needs to be done. It’s about opening up dialogues. This ties back into the importance of Disability Pride Month: better visibility means increased inclusion down the line.
What advice would you give to aspiring creatives with disabilities who might be hesitant to pursue their passion?
A lot of people buy my work because of the story behind it. For many artists, it’s about the meaning in the image, but for disabled artists, it can be the meaning behind the image – it’s not necessarily the image itself that’s most significant. At first, I was a bit shy to get out there and say ‘I’m a mouth artist’, but now every time I paint a picture, I make sure to mention that because it’s part of the reason why I create art. It’s an integral part of my artistic identity and process.
For disabled artists trying to break in, it’s important to embrace your disability. Don’t be worried about what people think. It’s easier said than done, I know, but you need to put yourself out there. Start by sending out emails to galleries, asking for wall space somewhere, or try to get your work in a shop. The key is to put yourself out there.
The disabled community also plays a crucial role. There’s value in surrounding yourself with people who are facing the same challenges. Especially early on in your journey, this can be transformative. I remember my first 10 months after the accident were all about training and physio. Then suddenly, I met a guy who was really living. He wasn’t just focusing on his disability; he was out there enjoying life. That was hugely eye-opening for me. It made me realise there’s actually a life to be lived. Seeing someone in a similar situation doing those things is massive. It can completely change your perspective and show you what’s possible.
What change would you like to see before the next Disability Pride Month?
The lockdown was massive in opening up work opportunities for disabled people. Companies should realise it’s possible for someone to work from home. The biggest blocker for disabled people working is having to go into an office every day. It’s incredibly tough, even for non-disabled people. We all want to contribute to society and the economy. For businesses to offer flexibility and welcome disabled employees would be huge. It’s about opening spaces up and actively choosing to include disabled people. We don’t just want to sit around and fulfil society’s terrible stereotypes of disabled people as wanting to take from the government. Let us add to society, add to the economy.
One thing we don’t want is for Disability Pride Month to be just a token thing that isn’t followed up. You want it to be constant. Ultimately, you don’t even want to have a Disability Pride Month. We should be so integrated that we shouldn’t have to bring regular attention to it once every 12 months.
Companies have the choice to make these changes. If they’re not choosing it, they’re actively choosing to say no to disabled people. We need to see real, lasting change beyond just one month of recognition.
Visit Henry’s website to learn more about him and buy his art: https://henryfraserart.com/
Learn about Henry’s upcoming exhibition at the Grove Hotel in London: https://www.thegrove.co.uk/event/henry-fraser-exhibition/
