Sandra Zavaleta Medina, who performs under the name Lamar, stands at the intersection of art, activism, and neurodiversity advocacy in Lima, Peru. An autistic artist and public intellectual in her own right, she uses performance, poetry, and community organizing to elevate the voices of autistic people and to challenge prevailing assumptions about disability, creativity, and social participation. Through her public platform, most notably the facebook initiative resplandecer hoy en diaautista en libertad, she cultivates spaces where neurodivergent experiences are seen, heard, and valued as central to Peru’s broader cultural conversation.
Sandra’s background spans formal training in physical therapy and rehabilitation assistant in special education. yet she redirected her career trajectory in response to a combination of personal experience and social context. she has spoken about the challenges that come with her disabilities, and she has highlighted how widespread misunderstandings—along with persistent ableist language and a lack of accommodations—can marginalize autistic individuals in educational, occupational, and cultural settings. this awareness became a catalyst for a shift from traditional health-related roles toward initiatives that foreground autistic agency and leadership.
The pivot gave rise to poesía fusión, a project that functions as both activism and a professional platform for neurodivergent artists. Sandra partners with shaolin musico, a seasoned musician, to produce public events that fuse poetry, performance, and music. The goal is ambitious: to bring neurodivergent artistry into lima’s diverse cultural circuit and to demonstrate the viability and vitality of autistic creative practice in public spaces. by staging performances in a variety of venues across the city, the initiative seeks to penetrate communities that may not routinely encounter neurodivergent perspectives, thereby expanding the audience for inclusive artistic practice.
Poesía fusión is more than a showcase of talent; it is a vehicle for exploring nuanced themes that resonate beyond the autobiographical. The project foregrounds the autistic experience as lived reality—felt, interpreted, and expressed through a distinct cognitive and sensory lens. in sandra’s framing, poetry and performance become powerful tools for empathy, dialogue, and social critique. The work engages topics that touch everyday life—family dynamics, intimate relationships, and love—while also addressing the evolving vocabulary and concepts that society uses to discuss neurodiversity. The interdisciplinary approach, combining improvisational poetry, theater, and musical collaboration, invites audiences to reconsider what constitutes beauty, talent, and value in contemporary culture.
Sandra’s public engagement strategies emphasize accessibility and inclusion. by prioritizing accessible spaces, she ensures that events are physically reachable and welcoming to diverse audiences, including families and people with varied communication needs. The visibility generated by poesía fusión helps to normalize autistic presence in lima’s cultural landscape, contributing to a broader discourse on inclusion, stigma reduction, and community empowerment. the initiative also presents a model for how artists with neurodivergent identities can build sustainable creative practices while advocating for systemic change in how society perceives disability and difference.
Sandra’s work intersects with several critical conversations in Peru and beyond: disability rights and policy; the project aligns with global movements toward inclusive education, accessible infrastructure, and equitable cultural participation; cultural accessibility; by bringing neurodivergent voices into public arts, poesía fusión challenges cultural gatekeeping and invites a wider audience to engage with contemporary art; language and representation; the emphasis on evolving terms and concepts around autism highlights the importance of language in shaping attitudes and opportunities for autistic people; intersectionality; the collaboration with musicians and performers reflects an ecosystem approach to art that acknowledges the interconnectedness of disability, artistry, gender, and community dynamics.
No arc of social change is without obstacles. Sandra has navigated resource constraints common to independent cultural initiatives, the friction between public visibility and private wellbeing, particularly for individuals balancing intense creative schedules with personal neurodivergent needs, and the ongoing task of countering stereotypes and misinformation about autism within broader society. these challenges, however, are framed as opportunities for resilience, learning, and advocacy. Each performance and event becomes a micro lesson in accessibility, inclusion, and the power of neurodivergent voices to shape cultural narratives.
Sandra Zavaleta Medina’s path as Lmar reflects a broader movement toward inclusive cultural participation in Latin America. Her work embodies a belief that art can catalyze social transformation and that activism can be deeply rooted in creative practice. As poesía fusión continues to evolve, it serves as a living archive of neurodivergent creativity in Peru and as an accessible entry point for diverse audiences to encounter autistic perspectives with empathy and curiosity.
Photo credits: Artist’s Archivum
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