Oil on Canvas, 12 x 9 inches , 2020.
This painting is of OPEN-MY-HEART in sign language and a physiological illustration of the organ heart. No matter how individualized (special) our labels + identities are, we all have this one living, beating thing in our bodies. The heart. This painting was birthed in a stirring time within the deaf community late into the year of 2020. The deaf community dove deep into the layers and intersectionality that reside in the cultural deaf identity. There are the hard of hearing, Deafies, so called “elite” deaf, Asian, black + brown, indigenous deaf, biracial deaf, privileged, and unprivileged deaf, LGBT/queer/trans deaf, speaking, and non-speaking deaf, and many more. Labels are not only the bridging concept between the disabled and the society but also serve as rich, comprehensive stories within the disabled community (deaf community). The vibrance of the action of opening our heart to others send a never-ending ripple effect of love. Love heals everybody regardless of what labels we wear.