THE DRAWING is unlikely to win any prizes. Sketched in black and white, it portrays a war-ravaged market place. Superman can be seen flying towards the chaotic scene. But, instead of saving the day, he is overwhelmed by gunfire and hostility from people in camouflage uniforms.
The work, pictured above left, may not be aesthetically pleasing, but it nevertheless offers a prime opportunity to gain insight into the feelings and thoughts of children - an often insurmountable task.
The drawing's creator is a quiet 10-year-old boy who recently returned to Hong Kong after spending nine years in Canada. He was facing difficulties relating to others at school and readjusting to a Chinese-speaking environment. Together with a group of children aged eight to 12, half of whom were new immigrants from the mainland, he attended six art therapy sessions organised by a social group Communication Through Art.
In an early session, when asked to make a human or animal figure in clay, the child remained silent and unresponsive while creating a Superman figure. But his behaviour changed markedly when he was later asked to explain the black and white drawing.
'He explained to the group that the Superman was feeling a little bit wild, and was trying to come in and save the people but there was a war going on and he couldn't deal with it any more. That's why Superman's hands were up in the air, he was feeling frustrated and nervous,' says Julia Byrne, an art therapist who conducted the sessions with the group.
'It was the first time he was able to speak out loud about his frustrations and anxiety. We can see there was lots of energy behind the strong images,' says Ms Byrne.