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Sammy Landers drawing, colored pencil on paper. Approx. 10.5 x 8 inches each. Sold separately.
Sammy Landers, a longtime resident of Group Living and the Arkadelphia Human Development Center, has been quietly creating some of the most striking and imaginative drawings in Arkansas for decades. Diagnosed with autism and not inclined to speak much, Sammy communicates most powerfully through his art. With the help of Mariela Crockett, a dedicated staff member who works closely with him, we learn that Sammy came to Arkadelphia as a teenager from his hometown of Hughes, Arkansas. During visits back home, he would return with remarkable drawings that began to capture the attention of those around him.
Landers' early work is known for its fantastical symmetry—pairs of elaborately dressed, otherworldly figures that seem to straddle the line between ancient myth and futuristic fantasy. With bold forms and radiant color, his characters evoke both Transformers and mysterious deities from a forgotten civilization. Following a 1997 tornado that damaged his home, Landers shifted his focus almost entirely to architecture, creating intricate, precise renderings of buildings that echo the same intensity and devotion as his earlier figures.
Each drawing is created with meticulous care—drafted with tools on sketchpad paper, layered with crayon, and then scraped to reveal luminous textures that shimmer beneath the surface. Viewed together, his works suggest a larger narrative, an epic journey of two youthful protagonists moving through a symbolic landscape of challenge and transformation.
Sammy Landers' art is a powerful testament to creative vision and resilience—a vibrant and enigmatic world built one line at a time.