Art a symphony of hope for those with hearing loss
On the eve of World Art Day, artists with auditory challenge reflect on how art helps them to grow personally, and professionally.
For Arpit Chaurasiya, a visual arts student at Dr Shakuntala Mishra National Rehabilitation University (DSMNRU) here, art is both a medium of expression and a beacon of hope.
Born with a hearing challenge, Chaurasiya, 26, says he faced discrimination and was even mocked on several occasions. But when people question his abilities, his artworks narrate his inner joys and turmoil. “Art gave me a new identity. It has become synonymous with my hard work, emotions and passion. It imbibed in me freedom and confidence. Art not only made me seen and heard but also understood. This is the biggest achievement for me. Colours, lines and shapes became my language, which helps me express my feelings, thoughts and imagination,” Chaurasiya, who’s in his second year of master’s degree (MVA), says over text.
For many like him, art not just turned out as a platform, but it became an opportunity to be understood. Mayank Vaish, 23, an MVA 1st year student at DSMNRU, says whatever he sees, he tries to emulate it in his art. “As a kid, Mayank faced problems in communicating. He was mocked, and kids around him gave him trouble. However, art bridged the gap between him and society. It allowed him to express his ideas and feelings. Today, he points out the evils in society using colours,” says Mayank’s father RK Vaish.
Abhinav Shakya, 24, another visual arts student, shares that his passion to paint paves way to his happiness. “I bring out my views and ideas freely and prominently using colours. It has helped me in sensitising people about the problems faced by the hearing-impaired persons. My teachers and parents helped me excel in my art and build it as a strong medium to connect with people. It is they who helped me,” Shakya says over a text.
Ramu Sharma, 22, a BVA fourth-year student, says: “Whatever I have observed over the years comes out as my opinions in the form of sculptures and paintings. Art has made me independent in various ways. I bring out my thoughts in different ways through art. It is the only medium that has no boundaries, and it provides me with an opportunity to express myself freely without the fear of being misunderstood.”