THIRD OBJECT

Video

The Beauty of Being Deaf

Chella Man

Work:

Copyright / permissions:

© Chella Man, The Beauty of Being Deaf , 2021

Biography:

A New York-based artist, director, and author, Chella Man’s work features the continuums of disability, race, gender, and sexuality. His identity includes being Deaf, trans, Jewish, and Chinese as well as determined, curious, and hopeful. He blends the genres of painting and performance art while simultaneously exploring sculpture, writing, and live workshops. Currently, Man is a mentor and resident at Silver Art Projects located in The World Trade Center. He has shown at institutions such as the Brooklyn Museum, Mana Contemporary, and will be exhibiting at The Pacific Design Center and The Abrons Arts Center this coming year. He was an artist-in-residence at the Palazzo Monti in Brescia, Italy in 2020.

Since leaving high school as a Junior to attend college early, he has published his first book, Continuum, with Penguin, shown in film festivals internationally, participated in numerous gallery shows and artist residencies worldwide, worked as a columnist for Condé Naste’s first queer publication Them, launched a radically inclusive clothing line in collaboration with Opening Ceremony, signed as the first Deaf and trans-masculine model with IMG Models, and was cast as a superhero within Warner Brothers’ DC Universe, in Titans.

He hopes to continue pushing the boundaries of what it means to be accessible, inclusive, and equal in this world. (Source: chellaman.com, 2022)

Sample prompts & exercises:

Suggested writing prompts:

  • My life underwater…
  • When you think of beauty…
  • I gain strength from…

Additional context for facilitator:

Facilitator tips on playing video: before your workshop starts, be sure to load the video and play through any advertisement at the start so it’s paused and ready. This is to avoid political ads or other content that takes you out of the experience. Also, note that you don’t need to adjust anything; this video has no audio. The piece is performed entirely in sign language, with captions appearing in the form of handwriting at the bottom of the screen. The entire text of the piece is included in the video description. If reading the captions is a barrier to anyone, such as those who are blind or low vision, or have weaker internet connections that day, you have the option to paste it into the chat or have a volunteer read the text while the video is playing.

Suggested workshops:

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(Re)Presentation

Core narrative medicine principle. Recognizing, then re-presenting others’ stories appropriately. Bringing awareness to position and bias.
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