Hira Basat
The focus of my project is Deaf culture. An important subject to me as a profoundly Deaf person myself. All my life I have faced barriers due to being Deaf.
The recent appearance of a Deaf person on a mainstream television show has thrust Deafness and Deaf culture into the spotlight. Something that will be investigated through my work.
My research will investigate the work of four Deaf artists. Two artists from America and two from Manchester. Interestingly, the two artists from America include examples of American Sign Language (ASL) in their work. However, the artists from Manchester do not. The American artists appear to be very proud of their Deaf identity and Deaf culture and portray this through their work. The work from the Manchester Deaf artists is vastly different to their American counterparts. It would be impossible to know they were Deaf through their artwork alone.
Four specific areas of focus; Communication, International Sign Language, Gesture and Awareness. Deaf people CAN do anything hearing people can. Therefore, my research aims to investigate Deaf culture, identify Deaf people within the creative arts, portray the work of Deaf artists, the skills that they have, and that Deafness should be celebrated.