A Caerphilly teenager has won a national art competition.
Eighteen year-old Sam Fitzgerald, a pupil at St Cenydd School, in Trecenydd, was declared overall winner in the Digital category of Beechwood College’s Create! Art for Autism competition.
Beechwood College, in Sully, is one of the UK’s leading specialist residential colleges for students with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
The competition was open to people aged between 11and 25 and who have been formally diagnosed with an ASD.
More than 350 entries were received from 52 different schools from all over the UK, and as far away as India and Croatia.
Sam’s entry, called ‘Angel’ was described by the judges as having a “haunting and metaphysical quality”.
Speaking about her son’s success, Sam’s mother Lynsey said: “It is fantastic and inspirational to see that Sam’s skills have been recognised and that unnecessary barriers have been removed to enable his photography to be celebrated in public for all to see and enjoy.”
As well as a certificate marking his achievement, Sam was presented with a Flip video camera and a host of prizes for his school, including two more Flip video cameras and Stop Motion Pro Action Software.