Erased

9 inch by 12 inch
Dry pastel on charcoal paper
2026

Erased portrays Deaf babies learning their first signs, “Mother” and “Father,” while their language and identities are gradually erased by professionals. Using dry pastels, I deliberately smudge and erase the figures to symbolize the potential erasure of Deaf identity and culture through gene therapy and gene editing. As these technologies advance, I fear that Deaf people may become targets of a new wave of medical intervention influenced by eugenic thinking. The fading images represent the possible loss of future generations of Deaf people, their language, and their cultural heritage. Every Deaf baby deserves the right to learn sign language, communicate, and develop a strong Deaf identity. Through Erased, I challenge the medicalization of deafness and emphasize the importance of protecting Deaf people’s linguistic and cultural rights. Despite these threats, Deaf people continue to resist erasure, defend their human rights, and fight for the survival of Deaf culture and sign language.