Deaf refugee art, work of Deaf Persian artist on display at RIT/NTID Dyer Arts Center

Two spring exhibits featured at the Dyer Arts Center at Rochester Institute of Technology’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf highlight the uniqueness of deaf refugee art and the works of Deaf Canadian Persian sculptor and painter Maryam Hafizirad. Both exhibits are on display through April 1.

“Journeys: Deaf Refugee Art” showcases an array of experiences that Deaf refugees bring from their home countries in terms of language, culture, and education. The exhibition includes refugee artists from U.S.-based organizations including ThinkSelf, Deaf Can!, Deaf New Americans Inc., and Deaf Refugee Advocacy, along with artwork by well-known Deaf refugee artists of the past, including David Bloch and Igor Kolombatovic, and emerging artist Samareh Harirchian. 

The work of Deaf Canadian Persian painter and sculptor Maryam Hafizirad is on display in the Dyer Arts Center Glassroom. A 2002 graduate of Isfahan University of Fine Arts, Hafizirad had her first exhibition at age 18 in Iran. Her award-winning exhibitions have been featured in Iran, China, Germany, Malaysia, India, and Canada. Her early works were dark in subject and color and depicted Persian classical lore.

This exhibit features two installations, “Eyes Must be Washed” and “Unmasked,” that involve colorful, glazed ceramic sculptures and affirm her Deaf identity, the gracefulness of sign language, and the quiet strength of life itself.