Sign language in the form of art: Dialogue and Arts on Sign Language

Recently concluded photo and art exhibition, Anivaram – Heritage’s echoes: Festival of past and inclusion by Madras Photo Bloggers, and jointly organized by the British Council, Name Vidu Naam Ur Naam KadMe, and Madras Literary Society, put a panel discussion called Sign Language as art, Focusing on the importance of the need for sign language and the need for more inclusion in art.

The panel included Def Artist Swetha Kulkarni (artist and photographer), Hasina S (Def Stage Performer), and Dhinesh RP (Def Filmmaker), who shared the importance of representing their experiences and deaf voices and approaches. The discussion was conducted by Srivatsan Shankaran, founder of Madras Photo Bloggers and founder of Def Artist NFT Collective.

Svetha talked about the importance of empowerment and positivity through her work, “I don’t feel negative when someone gives me negative comments, I think it encourages me to do even better.”

Hasina shared how she uses sign language, body language and facial expressions to express Riches in her performance, “Since childhood, I am practicing songs using a sign language in front of the mirror. I know that this song is a thing that everyone gives pleasure.

Talking about the strength and creative skills of the deaf community, Dinesh said, “Deaf people are highly unique. They have their own skills, their thoughts, and they know how to write. I am focusing on various stories, and converting them into symbolic language how I want to support the community.”

Dinesh also explained the lack of awareness and access to the film industry. As a solution, he suggested greater screen visibility for the sign language interpreters, highlighting the need for more balanced representation, proposed to hearing actors as well as 50/50 screen appearance, rather than the current imbalance where the listening person dominates instead of the current imbalance.

Panelists consider the difference between the Indian Sign Language (ISL), the British Sign Language (BSL), and the American Sign Language (ASL), which are not mutually intelligent. Even though a mutual symbolic language is used during specific time, such as airline safety, most communication depends on the country-specific symbolic language.

,Through our cooperation with the Madras literary society, we are proud to celebrate differentlyed artists, whose visual language experiences powerful art and cultural story. This phenomenon symbolizes our commitment to include inclusion, expanding access and making our libraries alive, welcome places – where every voice is heard and every form of expression is seen and is valuable, Viji Thiagarajan, Director, Libraries South Asia, the British Council said.

After a panel discussion, a jerd -a -jamming session was performed to show its talents through a series of artists by a series of artists by a jerding session.

The event was presented with media support from The Hindu’s Made of Chennai initiative.