Pictures on show at the Mary Ogilvie Gallery, St Anne’s College, and at Oxford Town Hall have been described by David Cameron as “a treasure trove of creativity and personal expression which are great examples of art and poetry that will stir the imagination of everyone that sees them”.

The artists are all students at the acclaimed Ormerod centre in Woodstock, who struggle with autism and learning disabilities. The exhibition traces their courageous creative journey from a small classroom to the galleries of Oxford University and the civic grandeur of the Oxford Town Hall.

I defy anyone not to be moved by these colourful, expressive works – they simply have to be seen to be appreciated. Take the poem and painting by Simean Goss – London The Darkness of Light. First you will encounter a dark canvas covered with splashes of dense colours, highlighted by bold brush strokes of vivid yellow paint which may at first appear confusing, but read the poem pinned besides it, and like me you will probably be humbled by this youngster’s talent and insight.

And then there’s the amazing collection of studies by Sarah Kiss, which break down the farm into five amazing studies, including a large canvas (below) of the farm animals she admires. Perhaps it is P. J. Taylor’s The Blackbird (above) that moved me most. A simple picture really, just nine trees and a blackbird. But look again, and you may see the bird with its outstretched wings as a symbol of Christ on the cross. It’s certainly a very powerful picture, which if painted by a famous artist would command a great price and be greatly admired.

The extraordinarily rich, fluid and invented visionary landscape informing this collection, worked by talented young artists with learning disabilities and autistic spectrum condition, certainly marks a new departure in contemporary art.

You can view the pictures at St Anne’s until March 13, but those on show at the Oxford Town Hall will only be there until Sunday.