In short:

A West Australian artist who lives with cerebral palsy has caught the attention of art curators across the state.

Colin Hanssen combines painting with performance to express his lived experience.

What's next?

The 31-year-old is preparing his first collection to be featured in Perth galleries.

On a quiet country road on Western Australia's south coast, Colin Hanssen is wrapping up his first exhibition.

Despite being a newcomer to the world of painting, there's been plenty to see on the walls, and floor, of the artist's rural Albany studio.

For Hanssen, who was born with cerebral palsy and is largely non-verbal, art has become a vital form of self expression.

The 31-year-old uses his wheelchair and right hand to blend colourful and earthy tones, combining performance with paint to create his abstract pieces.

His mother Wendy Hanssen said the unique skill was realised just six months ago in an art therapy class.

"That was when it was brought home that actually this could be an outlet for Colin," she said.

"This could potentially be his voice."

Beating the odds

His recent selection for this year's Southern Art and Craft Trail, an event which highlights talent across the region, shows just how much he has exceeded expectations, according to Ms Hanssen.

"We went and saw a neurosurgeon who told us to love Colin while we've got him, because he wasn't going to make it to his first birthday," she said.

"Colin's first birthday came and went, and we knew that we were clearly on the right track.

"Thirty-one years later, he's still with us, beating the odds left, right and centre."

A pre-verbal medium

Art therapist Serena McLaughlan has worked with Hanssen since he first started painting, and helped to curate the exhibition's collection.

"They [visitors] come in and they're just drawn to the work," she said.

"They're really interested in the story and fascinated by the process."

She said much of Hanssen's work draws from his time living in Africa.

"Engaging with vast expanses of landscape is a lived experience that comes through in the painting," she said.

"It's the power of art to talk of his lived experience and his stories over words.

"Art is pre-verbal — drawing, music and dance is all before words."

With the Art Trail completed, the team now have their sights set on the city.

"We've had two people, two artists from different galleries in Perth, asking if Colin will exhibit with them," Ms Hanssen said.

"We're going to look at getting a series done."