Deaf art as a means to preserve and showcase culture
Deaf Culture is defined as a community composed of people who identify as deaf with a capital "D" and those who identify as deaf or hard of hearing such as those who sign, those who speak only and those who use both and those who wear hearing aids, cochlear implants or nothing. It also involves those with deaf family members such as their children called CODA's (children of deaf adults). It is a community that not only encompasses and embraces being deaf and hard of hearing, it also integrates the other cultural backgrounds that many deaf and hard of hearing individuals come from. This is why major deaf universities such as Gallaudet University and National Technical Institute for the Deaf, as well as deaf residential schools and programs have clubs dedicated to multi-cultural backgrounds. Some examples are Asian Deaf Clubs, Latino Deaf Clubs, African American or Black Deaf Clubs. There a whole variety of social groups that allow any deaf or heard of hearing person to explore and become a part of the deaf community and they are all part of the larger deaf culture across the globe.
Deaf Art is artwork created by "Deaf artists and shows their perceptions based on their Deaf experiences. It uses formal art elements with the intention of expressing innate cultural or physical Deaf experience. These experiences may include Deaf metaphors, Deaf perspectives, and Deaf insight in relationship with the environment (both the natural world and Deaf cultural environment), spiritual and everyday life." (De'VIA Manifesto - NTID Deaf Art/Deaf Artists)
For example. the comic panel shown above created by Matt and Kaye Daigle is a perfect example of one form of art, cartooning, as a means of expressing their daily perceptions of being Deaf and being a part of both the deaf and hearing community. They would be considered representative of De'VIA art since their subject matter focuses on the Deaf experience.
There are two types of deaf artists that fall into either of the two main groups: deaf artists and De'VIA artists.
De'VIA consists of Deaf artists who create work based on their Deaf experiences for the sole purpose of expressing what it means to be Deaf. De'VIA can be identified by formal elements such as Deaf artists' possible tendency to use contrasting colors and values, intense colors, contrasting textures. It may also most often include a centralized focus, with exaggeration or emphasis on facial features, especially eyes, mouths, ears, and hands. Currently, Deaf artists tend to work in human scale with these exaggerations, and not exaggerate the space around these elements.
Deaf Art is artwork created by "Deaf artists and shows their perceptions based on their Deaf experiences. It uses formal art elements with the intention of expressing innate cultural or physical Deaf experience. These experiences may include Deaf metaphors, Deaf perspectives, and Deaf insight in relationship with the environment (both the natural world and Deaf cultural environment), spiritual and everyday life." (De'VIA Manifesto - NTID Deaf Art/Deaf Artists)
For example. the comic panel shown above created by Matt and Kaye Daigle is a perfect example of one form of art, cartooning, as a means of expressing their daily perceptions of being Deaf and being a part of both the deaf and hearing community. They would be considered representative of De'VIA art since their subject matter focuses on the Deaf experience.
There are two types of deaf artists that fall into either of the two main groups: deaf artists and De'VIA artists.
De'VIA consists of Deaf artists who create work based on their Deaf experiences for the sole purpose of expressing what it means to be Deaf. De'VIA can be identified by formal elements such as Deaf artists' possible tendency to use contrasting colors and values, intense colors, contrasting textures. It may also most often include a centralized focus, with exaggeration or emphasis on facial features, especially eyes, mouths, ears, and hands. Currently, Deaf artists tend to work in human scale with these exaggerations, and not exaggerate the space around these elements.