sign language media artist inter-art, media, video, poetry, calligraphy, storytelling, performance, sign language

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Wire arts

"ILY, Heart, Earth" (2017) by Jolanta Lapiak. Approximate sizes, 9"h x 4.5w". Steel wire, copper wire, turquoise Jasper beads. July 2017.

The handshape means "I Love You" in American Sign Language (ASL). Below the ILY handshape is the heart with a turquoise bead inside.

The wire art somehow blends symbols. The beads were originally intended as fingernails but turned out to be also eyes (a cultural value in ASL/Deaf culture) as well as love for Earth or nature. Being Eyean/Deaf is natural and signing is natural. Our language ASL is organic, natural, beautiful, and harminous.

The ILY handshape and the heart shape seem to be redundant but it's not. It symbolizes bilingualism as virtually every Deaf individual with the bilingual approach in education is bilingual-bimodal. Being a bilingual-bimodal connects both worlds.

A symbol of the little silver bell resonates with vibration. Vibration is Eyean's world of tactile sound.

"Angel with the Scarf", 2017. Copper wire, Swarovski crystal beads, fabric. 6" long.

"Dragonfly", 2017. Copper wire, stone beads. 10.5" long, 4" wide.

"Owl", 2017.

Related art: Mother and Daughter wire art.

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