David Cheung has always seen the world with a different set of eyes.
From a very young age, he noticed details in everyday life that few others did—shadows on a building, lines in the sand, or the symmetry of a doorknob. It all just made sense to him.
But social situations proved to be a challenge. Understanding—and being understood by—other children was hard. His childhood was marked by bullying and loneliness as he repeatedly tried to fit in. But it was as if it wasn’t meant to be.
In his own words: he was just too different.
As a young adult, he finally landed his dream job at a British video game company. David was thrilled. The pieces seemed to be falling into place at last. But after only three months, the company’s board decided he wasn’t part of their plans anymore.
David came home from work that day and just cried.
For months, he barely got out of bed. All sense of joy and excitement for the future had left him. Family and friends grew increasingly worried. Would David ever be himself again?
A few months later, he was diagnosed with Autism.
It explained his unique personality, but it didn’t provide a solution. If anything, it made him feel even worse. He now had a doctor’s note telling him he was different—and not in a good way. It sunk him deeper into the depths of depression.
Until one day...
It was a gray Thursday, many months later. David sat by the kitchen table with no energy and nothing to do. As a child, he had always loved drawing. It had been his escape—the one place where he felt truly understood. With nothing to lose, he picked up a pencil, turned to a blank page, and began to sketch.
Hours later, his brother William stopped by and was stunned. The table was covered in sketches, and David—who had barely left his bed for months—was completely absorbed in his work.
“How long have you been sitting here?” William asked.
David looked up, dazed. “I don’t know,” he said, a smile forming on his lips—for the first time in a long while.
It turned out that the trait everyone had seen as a limitation was, in fact, his greatest strength. His ability to see patterns, perceive the tiniest details, and think outside the box made him a fantastically unique artist. The little things that go unnoticed by others became David’s main source of inspiration.
Today, David Cheung is a renowned artist whose work captivates and moves people. His paintings decorate the walls of countless homes all over the world. His unique way of interpreting the world transcends cultures and boundaries.
He is living proof that what society deems a weakness can turn out to be your greatest strength.
Welcome to the world of David Cheung.
