“Here’s no greater power than of the sun, the moon, and the woman who knows her worth.”

— poetry by Nicole Llyons 

Being a Black person is tough. Being a Deaf person is tough. Being a woman is tough. Combine all of these identities and one would believe that to be a Black Deaf woman means they face three different types of discrimination. 

However, it doesn’t mean a Black Deaf woman isn’t magical.

My work is an examination of how beautiful and raw intersectionality can be because there are overlapping identities that bring in various experiences.  Take me for an example. My name is Ebony R. Gooden. I often say my name because Ebony is a huge part of my identity. It means, “Black Wood” but it doesn’t mean I am a piece of a log. Even black wood has to begin its life as a seed the way I began as a baby. It would then grow. I to grow. It would then grow branches. I too begin to experience various different things; the positive and the negative. 

It would transform into a tree, growing its roots deep into the ground. I too have found my identity as a Black Deaf woman. There is nothing more powerful than a woman who knows her worth.

 

 

 

 

Know your worth
digital art, 2020

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The sun
digital art, 2020

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My video is titled Joy: I sign the two languages of ASL and LSQ that they are singing. My daughter can speak French and English, so she is the first LSQ language speaker.

I want to give this singing video fun for the people who are fun to see my video. For the world there are different colors: it is Joy.

Personality, identity, and mood bring emphasis to the human experience in profound ways. Shocks of colours and scrawls of dark lines are the main ways Melissa interprets and conveys those meanings to life. Her watercolour portraits are derived from photos and moments in her life to create connections through shared experiences.

 

 

Most of my ideas originate from my experiences as a Deaf person and reflect my belief the world does not necessarily present itself fully. My ability to bring to life emotions and perceptions with the illusion of movement is what drives me to be an artist to explore the mysteries of my language, culture and history.

When I was working on my BFA degree, I discovered the barriers I experience in my daily life also exist for viewers of my art. Most viewers have never experienced hearing loss and don’t use sign language, so it became clear why they struggle in interpreting my work about being Deaf or sign language. My questions about abled-bodied viewers understanding of how information can be lost or discovered with fewer human senses was a turning point for me. Making my work accessible became one of my goals, to use a variety of mediums such as clay or digital media to achieve that end.

 

 

 

Deaf Joy
by Syra Hassan

I am inspired to create, and I create to inspire.

 

 

 

Hello. Starla Here.

I am inviting you to reflect on the moments that you always embrace while watching many moments of mine in animation gif. I see… I feel… I taste… I want… I need… I wish… there are many thoughts at once. It’s so raw but this shows many moments of my Deaf Joy in my perspective. I don’t want to add anything that might cause my thoughts to be hidden and to be confused in my mind. I want to be alone but I don’t want to be lonely. I want to enjoy life but I don’t want to waste any seconds. I want to eat & drink while being relaxed in my room but I don’t want to eat or drink while being anxious in my room. There are too many thoughts at once. You might or might not understand I am trying to say. It’s okay to not understand something and it’s also okay to accept this that you might never understand but I want you to be glad that you had a chance to watch my work. I want all of you to enjoy, to reflect, to laugh, to bewilder and to show as many emotions as you can. It’s time now.

Thank you,

Starla Galaxy