COLLECTION:
“Birth of a Deaf Child”
Painting
Size: 16inch by 20inch, Medium: oil on canvas, Year: 2014
The painting is about a mother, who is about to give birth of a Deaf child. Whether she is hearing or Deaf, she cherishes the child regardless. Her body is filled with happiness represented by primary colors.
The colors reflects on Deafhood. A Deaf baby is very precious. The signing ‘Birth’ means to give birth.
“Deaf Beaten”
Painting
Size: 11inch by 14inch, Medium: oil on canvas, Year: 2014
This painting is about the Deaf people get beaten and killed by police officers. In the painting, a Deaf person is on the ground. His eyes are bruised and his hands are tied behind the back. The sign says, "HELP!" The Deaf get beaten for not obeying orders because they cannot hear.
“Fix”
Painting
Size: 16inch by 20inch, Medium: oil on canvas, Year: 2014
This painting is inspired by Frida Kahlo’s Two Fridas. This is based on what I have seen during my artist-in-residencies. This girl was born Deaf and had her first cochlear implant at age 21 months. Her parents worked hard to teach her how to talk and listen and not to use sign language. They tell friends and relatives that their daughter is ‘hearing.’ When she entered high school, this was where she was struggling to find her own identity. One side of her, shows a cochlear implant device on her lap. She took it off, to show everyone what her device looks like. She has blue tape wrapped around her hand, to show that she was encouraged not to use sign language. Her dress shows AUDISM as in blue, black and white color. This means that turning a Deaf baby into a ‘hearing’ baby through cochlear implant, and educating them orally, represents a gross violation of human rights. On the other side of her, is her own Deaf person, who knows her identity. She shows a big D on her heart. She has blue tape on her mouth and ears, meaning she is Deaf and prefers to sign. The holding hand motif represents ’embracing each other’, and to hang in there.
“Two Sides”
Painting
Size: 16inch by 20inch, Medium: oil on canvas, Year: 2014
This painting is inspired by Francisco Goya, on one of his etchings, Los Caprichos: Ensayos in 1799. This was around the time when he became deaf. He was going through rough times and in pain. From his Ensayos work, there is a person putting hand in the ear. This reminds me of two Deaf people, and of other Deaf individuals, who went through horrible times in emergency rooms, ambulances and at doctors and dentists offices. The first question, ’are you interested in getting a cochlear implant?’ while a Deaf patient is in pain. Here in this painting, shows a spear pierced in the heart, meaning a heart attack. A Deaf person had a heart attack, rushing to a hospital, and inside an ambulance, a nurse asked if a Deaf patient was interested in getting a cochlear implant, while he was having a heart attack. Another Deaf person arriving at an emergency room, a doctor asked if a Deaf patient wants a cochlear implant and never mind the life threatening heart attack. The doctor’s interest is putting a cochlear implant in the ear and not care enough to fix the broken heart. The elephant behind the wall is Alexander Graham Bell. This is a true story.