The art of silence: Mumbai's Kala Ghoda to showcase works by seven deaf artists

Echoes Without Sound by Akanksha Kamble; a mixed media artwork, with other paintings representing Disconnect (left) and Reconnect (right). PICS COURTESY/FREEDOM TO SIGN

It is a different world altogether when viewing it from the lens of a deaf person. Beneath lies a world of longing, colourful imagination, and a treasure trove of silent memories. Throughout this week, to celebrate International Day of Sign Languages [September 23] and International Week of Deaf People [September 22 to 28], Freedom to Sign, a platform providing a stage for deaf artistes, is opening an exhibition, Echoes of Silence, at Artists' Centre, Kala Ghoda, with a pre-opening event this evening. The exhibition displays powerful works of seven artists from different backgrounds, specialising in varying crafts.

Belong by Himanshu Kansal and Ocean Within by Shreya Gupta

We caught up with Dr Alim Chandani [below], event curator and founder of Freedom to Sign. Deaf himself, he has advocated for deaf rights, education and public accessibility in India for years. Speaking to us via his sign language interpreter, he explains, "India has more than 10 million deaf people, yet parents, schools and society don't really have the language to talk to them; deaf children are often handed hearing aids or other devices to ‘fix' them, there's no effort to inculcate and normalise sign language as a form of communication. This exhibition is about feelings of loneliness, abandonment, and the silence that is felt by almost every deaf individual, as they feel invisible, with a loss of identity. The works show both their struggles and strength."

Silence Journey by Hardeep Singh

The seven artists - Himanshu Kansal, Akanksha Kamble, Hardeep Singh, Srivatsan Sankaran, Ashwin Babu, Vivek Kumar and Shreya Gupta - are practitioners of painting, sculpting, photography, short films, mixed media, digital art and more. "The deaf often feel left out, as it's not possible to immediately tell if someone is deaf.

Essence of my Life by Vivek Kumar

Our pre-opening event on Tuesday [today] is a Visual Vernacular performance by four artists; a form of storytelling using only sign language, hand gestures, and no voice," says Dr Chandani. "India is a country where gestures can connote a lot, and so, we hope that more people understand the importance of sign language, to realise that incorporating it is a major form of inclusivity." They say a picture speaks a thousand words. But, a gesture can speak a language of emotions.

Education without Access by Ashwin Babu

On September 23; 8 pm onwards (Visual Vernacular performance); September 24 to 28, 11 am to 6 pm (exhibition)
At Starbucks, Elphinstone Building, Fort (Visual Vernacular performance); Artists' Centre, Army & Navy Building, Kala Ghoda (exhibition)
Log on to freedomtosign.com
Entry Rs 400 (Visual Vernacular performance); free (exhibition)

Dr Alim Chandani, curator