An autism diagnosis led Tegan to explore 'late-discovered neurodiversity' through art

Artist Tegan Bailey was diagnosed with autism and ADHD just over two years ago and is sharing her personal journey of “rediscovering self” through a new exhibition at the Wagga Art Gallery’s E3 art space.

Tegan’s first solo exhibition includes a series of works that grapple with what she describes as the “layers of late-discovered neurodiversity”.

“Neurodivergent” is a term used to describe people whose brains are wired differently from the average person and an increasing number of Australians are being diagnosed later in life.

“I had taught in special education for over 10 years at that point, but everything that I had ever learned about autism didn’t really apply to me, and I had never considered that it would apply to me,” Tegan said.

“What I knew about autism was very much based on how it is portrayed in the media and how it is experienced by males, because all of the research is based on men and boys.

“It’s not based on women or girls or gender diverse people, so the picture that we were given didn’t really fit me.”

Tegan said her diagnosis was both a relief and a validation as she began to understand more about how her brain worked and how it had impacted her early life.

“I started reading some information about how autism presents in women and girls, and it was like reading a story about myself,” she said.

“I’ve always used art making to respond to how I’m feeling about things, and so I started using it to respond to what I was learning.

“I wanted to live more authentically me because I had spent a lot of my time, without realising it, masking my autistic self and fitting into a system that is not really the best system for me.”

Tegan quit teaching and is now studying to become an art therapist to support other neurodivergent people.

The collection of works on paper includes acrylic paintings, printed elements, collage and oil pastels.

Tegan said the blacks and dark tones in much of her work reflected the turmoil and anxiety she experienced before her diagnosis.

“One thing about being autistic is difficulty processing emotions and processing them differently, and I often come to understand how I’m feeling through making art and I think the black has a lot to do with those negative perceptions,” she said.

While there is a lot of self-reflection and depictions of the disconnectedness and isolation that neurodiverse people can feel, there is also a sense of the hope and confidence that comes through understanding.

“I hope people will see the way autistic people are is much more nuanced than the way it’s typically presented,” Tegan said.

“That authenticity is really valuable, and autistic people and people with ADHD should feel safe to be authentically themselves and not have to fit into a mould that they were never made to fit into.”

Rediscovering Self is part of the art gallery’s Regional Artist Development (RAD) Program, which supports local artists to mount an exhibition while receiving mentoring from gallery staff.

Program coordinator Mary Egan said they had worked closely with Tegan to stage the exhibition.

“Tegan came with a lot of ideas about how to make this a really sensory friendly exhibition layout, and the team really worked to be able to realise those ideas in this space and to show her work to the best possible advantage,” she said.

“We’re currently looking for RAD exhibitors for 2025 and it would be particularly helpful for anyone who’s in that sort of early to mid-stage of their art practice, or who perhaps is re-engaging the art practice, or trying to shift into a really new direction because of the mentoring that comes along with it.

Tegan Bailey’s exhibition will be open until Sunday 15 September and applications for the 2025 exhibition program close on Sunday 6 October.