We are neurodiverse but not every human being is Neurodivergent (2025)

A new addition to the National Portrait Collection, We are neurodiverse but not every human being is Neurodivergent by the winner of the AIB Portrait Prize in 2024, Amanda Dunsmore, is now on display.

Adam Harris is the Founder and CEO of AsIAm, Ireland's Autism Charity. In November 2026, he will commence his new role as CEO of Social Entrepreneurs Ireland. Adam founded AsIAm based on his own experiences growing up as an Autistic person in Ireland. In addition to his leadership at AsIAm, Adam was appointed to the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission in July 2020 and serves as an Executive Council Member for Autism Europe. He is a Social Entrepreneurs Ireland Awardee and has sat on, and advised many government consultative and policy committees on disability rights and inclusion, which have helped shape national policies for a more inclusive society. A passionate public speaker and advocate, Adam regularly contributes to media and conferences in Ireland and overseas, engaging with a variety of stakeholders to promote greater understanding and acceptance of Autistic individuals. His work has positioned AsIAm as a cornerstone of autism advocacy in Ireland, driven by his belief that Ireland must become a country in which every Autistic person is accepted "as they are" - equal, valued and respected.

Amanda Dunsmore was born in England, and has lived and worked in Ireland and Northern Ireland for over 30 years. She currently lives in Co. Clare and is a Lecturer in Fine Art at Limerick School of Art & Design, TUS. Her work in art processes explores representations of societal transformation, examining place, people and moments of political significance. Dunsmore’s contextual portraits evolve through long periods of research, and her work is presented as a series of extensive socio-political and historical projects, through video, photography, drawing, audio and sculptural installation. Central to Dunsmore’s art practice is an exploration of the potential and long-term implications of socio-political art-making and the legacy of portraiture. Dunsmore has exhibited extensively in Ireland and shown internationally since 1992.

Dunsmore won the AIB Portrait Prize in 2024 for her work ‘Lydia’ Dr Lydia Foy. The video portrait depicts Dr Lydia Foy, who in 2015 became the first person to be legally recognised by Ireland’s Gender Recognition Act. The portrait depicts Foy in her garden, for which she was awarded a Guinness World Record for growing the tallest foxglove at 3.29 metres.

The artist Amanda Dunsmore, said, “After meeting Adam a couple of times in my IMMA studio, and then completing Adam’s recommended research around Autism and Neurodivergences, it became apparent to me that this portrait needed to be a full-length, life-size drawing. And as I made it, I was thinking of the potential for different layers within his portrait, different layers of words from Adam himself, and different layers of how we represent people and how we see things. In my drawings I’ve been using this process of layering papers over the last few years, in particular with the 2023 artwork Memento-Agreement. I think of Adam’s portrait not as a single plane and flat, but as multi-layered, and a space for us to view and perceive differently.”

Adam Harris said, "Being asked to sit (or in my case stand!) for the National Portrait Collection is an incredible honour particularly for an artist of the calibre of Amanda Dunsmore, whose previous work capturing equality and social justice causes have been powerful in engaging and changing public attitudes. I truly believe that representation matters and my portrait is less about me than the broader importance of reflecting the advocacy, culture and lived experiences of Ireland's Autistic community in our national cultural institutions. This is important not only in educating the public but also in ensuring Autistic people can see themselves represented in the social and cultural life of our country. The National Gallery of Ireland has been a wonderful advocate of creating the same chance for Autistic people, including through participation in AsIAm's accreditation programme, and this latest demonstration of that commitment is both humbling to me and deeply meaningful for our community."

We are neurodiverse but not every human being is Neurodivergent by Amanda Dunsmore is on display in the National Portrait Gallery.