In the modern world, deaf people have, if not equal, but at least a good chance to receive an education, find jobs, interact with others, and be involved in art. However, it was not the case before the enlightenment era, when sign language was recognized as structured and natural and deaf schools and institutions started to develop (Zadeh, 2022). For example, Gallaudet University, established in 1857 in Washington, DC, was one of the few colleges that accepted students with hearing difficulties (Zadeh, 2022). Creating more opportunities for deaf people allowed them to become more confident and proficient in self-expression, enabling the progress of deaf art and culture.
Since deaf individuals have difficulty or lack the capacity to hear music or voices, they tend to choose visual methods of representing their thoughts, emotions, and feelings. Artists with inborn hearing difficulties have both positive and negative experiences because they diverge from ordinary people (Jay, 2021). Deaf art connects a unique group of people who demonstrate their inner world as well as generational struggles to find their own niche in a society dominated by verbal information. For example, Chuck Baird, a famous deaf artist, visualizes the beauty of sign language in his works to demonstrate to the world that individuals with hearing problems have an abundant inner life (Jay, 2021). Indeed, according to Zadeh (2022), deaf people are able to express their psychological state and perception of others not only through sign language taught to them but also through painting and dance. Overall, it appears that deaf art is a profuse realm that requires a deeper exploration and deserves admiration.
In summary, deaf artists seem to be empowered by their physical restrictions rather than discouraged because they express their inner emotions using visual techniques. These individuals combine their thoughts and emotions with their experiences interacting with the outside world. The latter used to discriminate against deaf people in the past, but as science and education started to flourish, more opportunities for education and self-expression appeared for those who were born with hearing problems.
References
Jay, M. (2021). Deaf culture art. Deaf art. Start ASL. Web.
Zadeh, M. B. (2022). Dancing in silence: A center for deaf art and culture (Doctoral dissertation, University of Maryland, College Park). Digital Repository of the University of Maryland.