Italian Artist with Down syndrome launches her NFT Collection
Sting has recently lent his voice to World Down Syndrome Day Global Campaign by performing ‘The Hiring Chain’.
This piece resembles a nursery rhyme, which evokes a “virtuous” chain of inclusion in the workplace.
The song, promoted by the Italian non-profit organisation CoorDown, mentions the positive domino effect generated by the hiring of people with disabilities. As a matter of fact, most people with Down syndrome face barriers and prejudices, lack of opportunities and stereotypical attitudes.
This song takes care of debunking misconceptions about their potential and the benefits of an inclusive workplace: essentially, when an employer hires someone with Down syndrome, they encourage others to do the same by giving them more visibility.
A similar approach has been followed by Graziana Vaccarella, a talented 14-year-old girl from Catania, Italy, with Down’s Syndrome and a great passion for art and painting.
Graziana has decided to demonstrate that disability is not a limit. Indeed, Graziana has turned her art into NFTs, also known as non-fungible token.
NFTs are certificates that confirms to the authenticity, uniqueness and ownership of a digital object, which can be sold on ad hoc marketplaces like OpenSea.
Graziana, supported by her family, has listed on OpenSea seven NFTs with the aim to donate the proceeds entirely to the charity associations called “Network for associations”, via a crowdfunding campaign created on Indiegogo.
Also, this is just another opportunity to show that disability is not a limit.
And Graziana has fully demonstrated that, becoming one of the first examples, in Italy and even in the world, of artists with Down syndrome to have works officially for sale on OpenSea.
As Grazian’s dad told us: “Graziana’s psychophysical condition is usually considered a permanent state of difficulty. However, this project doesn’t aim just at inclusion – continues Maurizio Vaccarella -. Graziana is actively striving to demonstrate that everyone, without distinction, is invited to the construction, according to their abilities, of human society. We have to look beyond the horizons marked by obstacles that often mark our daily life. And – as my daughter says – ‘You mustn’t give up. NEVER!
