“No one has ever written, painted, sculpted, modelled, built, or invented except to get literally out of hell.” ― Antonin Artaud
The expression “Art Therapy” was first used in 1942, in England, by the British artist Adrian Hill, who argued that, through the artistic work, the patient could rebalance his mind and body.
While this technique was already used in American psychiatric hospitals, Art Therapy came to Italy only in the 70s thanks to the efforts of Franco Basaglia, who used this technique to identify and express the potentials of his patients to meet their needs and consider their differences as an added value.
Art therapy comes from specific drawing, in which it is required to pay attention to lines, colours, shadows, lights and voids. At the end of this artistic journey, the patient could express herself/himself or who she/he would like to be through the completed drawing.
Through the graphic vision of the patient’s experience, it is possible to achieve a psychophysical improvement, better self-awareness and psychological maturity that can help the patient to understand his inner blocks and remove them.
In conclusion, we can say that art is not only aesthetics or fun, but also a form of care: relying on it can help to put our lives in order and improve our psychophysical wellbeing.
Francesca Camilla Perra
A.P.E. 
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