ASL Hunger

ASL Hunger
11 × 14 inches
Oil on canvas
February 2012
SOLD

Description:
This painting depicts a poor mother and her baby begging—not for food or money, but for American Sign Language. It uses the metaphor of hunger to express the deep human need for language and communication.

The painting reflects the impact of oralism on Deaf cultural and linguistic identity. As advocates of oral education, including Alexander Graham Bell, promoted speech and lipreading over sign language, many Deaf children grew up with limited access to American Sign Language. The continuing influence of oralist practices has left many Deaf people hungry for the language that naturally supports their communication, learning, and identity.

The oralist system continues to emphasize listening and spoken language while often minimizing or excluding American Sign Language, particularly in mainstream educational settings. Through the image of a mother and child pleading for ASL, this painting conveys the urgency of language access and the fundamental human right of Deaf children to acquire language from the earliest years of life.

This painting belongs to the Resistance category of De’VIA, challenging educational practices that suppress signed languages and advocating for the recognition of American Sign Language as an essential part of Deaf culture and identity.