I started drawing and painting when I was seven because it was a way of communicating with my family. Raised in San Diego, my parents had no idea I was born Deaf until I was six. The doctor originally said I had a learning disability and speech impairment. Not quite so.

I was always creating new pieces, and exhibited my artwork—everything from painting rocks to canvases—at art fairs, in contests, and at galleries.  I studied graphic design and painting at the National Technical Institute of the Deaf and Rochester Institute of Technology in New York and earned a master’s degree in computer graphic design and painting.

In 1979, I had my very first showing at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. I then was among 12 Deaf artists participating at the Heart, Eye, Hand exhibit held at the Los Angeles-based Ankrum Gallery. This gallery was owned by Joan Ankrum who is Morris Broderson’s aunt. It was at this point in my life that I stopped painting. I didn’t have full confidence in my chances at success in the art community, so I chose to become a 9-to-5 employee.

I worked as a graphic designer for Xerox in San Diego. My next job was as a palette designer for 20th Century Fox, where I created color palettes to colorize classic black and white films such as Casablanca, King Kong, Sherlock Holmes, and numerous John Wayne films. In 1991, I moved to Seattle, where I worked as a graphic designer for Microsoft Corporation designing Windows icons. I unexpectedly got laid off.

Throughout my career, I had continued to long for painting. The layoff was the perfect opportunity for me to take workshops and courses in preparation for my return to painting. I knew I had revived my art career when I placed second in the Northern Colorado Regional Juried Show in the oil painting category. For eight years, I painted everything from portraits to landscapes and cityscapes to still life.

In 2010, I became involved in Deaf Art, and realized I had discovered my passion. Why did I waited this long to start Deaf Art?  Because I thought I would not do well in that field. Much to my delight, I received a Puffin Foundation Grant to study, through painting, Deafhood, Deaf culture, audism, Deaf history, Deaf politics, American Sign Language and bilingualism. I have been inspired to create new paintings on a weekly basis, which are posted on this website.

The Art Process

I am greatly influenced by the Fauvism Movement—specifically, Henri Matisse, Andre Derain and Maurice de Vlaminck. Another influence is the Neo-Expressionist Movement, including Jean-Michel Basquiat and Matt Sesow.

I am also influenced by the De Stijl movement, and this art allows only primary colours and black and white, only squares and rectangles, only straight and horizontal or vertical line. In my paintings I used not only horizontal and vertical lines but also diagonal shapes. I use primary colours, and use black and white pigments for saturated color areas. Strong brushstrokes make paintings expressive, emotional and even at times disturbing. I use these styles into my De’VIA art work. I do quite abit of ‘direct painting,’ which is done in a single application. That means using a one-opaque painting technique. Painting from light to dark. Vary brushstrokes, thick, thin, short, long marks, etc. Alot of 'scrubbing' in many directions. I do 'scumbling' with a dry brush, too. That means to soften the color of a painted area by overlaying parts with opaque color applied lightly with an almost dry brush. I start with painting the background to the foreground. I mix the colors primarily from the palette.

The subject matter of the paintings are related to Deaf Politics, History, Art, Deaf culture, Linguistics, Audism and Deafhood. Very few paintings show my own Deaf experiences thru oppression, mainstreaming and the Deaf community. Many of them are the ones that I have seen happening today through the second wave of Oralism, Deaf Education, cochlear implant on Deaf babies, and many more.

I do resistance and affirmation art as two themes. In resistance art, my paintings show audism, mask of benevolence, linguistic controversy, oralism, mainstreaming, genetic engineering, politics and identity. In affirmation art, my paintings show empowerment, ASL, Deaf culture, metaphors, identity, acceptance, Deaf history, Deafhood and Deaf art.

I show hidden messages in paintings. I create symbols, metaphors as well as hidden pictures. Colours that I use represent certain meanings.

My goal, aside from obviously expressing myself, is to show appreciation for the Deaf community and to call to their attention and to convey my Deafhood journey and experiences.

The Definition of Art

I use symbols in the paintings.

Example and Meaning of Symbols:

blue tape: tied-down, trapped, crossed-out, mask of benevolence, labeled, ASL prohibited.
yellow light: so that Deaf people can see.
yellow color: Hope.
red/white circle: attention, target, focal point.
light gray-blueish color: Deafhood.
DNA structure: genetic engineering, Deaf Hereditary, Deaf gene, Eugenics.
hand: Deaf people, Deaf pride, Deaf culture.
ear, mouth: Audism, oralism, genetic engineering, Eugenics, AGBell.
red/blue eyebrows: my art style.
heart: Deaf heart, Deaf mind.
strings: tied down, audism, trapped.
cracks: almost extincted, disappearing and warning.
bandaid: warning, safe, protection.

Deaf Art and De'VIA

What do I see in Deaf Art and De’VIA (Deaf View/Image Art)? Is there a difference between the two? I see both somewhat similar. Deaf Art can be an image based on Deaf issues or it can be any subject matter and be created by a Deaf artist. De’VIA is an art movement of Deaf Art. It is the work of art based on Deaf experienced issues. I can visually see ‘Deaf’ in the artwork by Deaf artists using colors, shapes and style. Deaf Art is the work on how Deaf artists use their visualization, imagination and visual thinking. Deaf artists gather information much differently than other artists. Deaf artists rely heavily on their eyes. It is the mind through eyes; a Deaf mind. The eyes pick up details instantly and observe them intensely.

There are three themes in De’VIA:

Resistance art through audism, mainstreaming, isolation, politics, etc.
Affirmation art through identity, empowerment, Deafhood, Deaf Culture, etc.
Liberation art through acceptance through emotional experiences. It is a combination that blends resistance and affirmation into one theme; Liberation art.

De’VIA as ‘Deaf View’ with their eyes and 'Image Art' as visual art with a Deaf mind.