Saint Petersburg, Russia

The World is Heard by the Soul
Saint Petersburg International Art Exhibition
Saint Petersburg, Russia
August 29 – September 2, 2013

Five American Deaf artists were invited by the Russian Federation to attend the opening of the Saint Petersburg International Art Exhibition, The World is Heard by the Soul, held at the historic Smolny Institute (Lenin Museum) in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

The participating American Deaf artists were David Call, Alexander Genievsky, Ellen Mansfield, Nancy Rourke, and Alex Wilhite. Through their De’VIA (Deaf View/Image Art) works, they shared Deaf experiences, culture, identity, and perspectives with an international audience.

The exhibition’s goal was to introduce De’VIA to Deaf artists from around the world and demonstrate how the movement encourages artists to explore and express their own Deaf identities and lived experiences through visual art. The exhibition fostered cultural exchange, strengthened connections among Deaf artists from many countries, and helped build bridges across languages and cultures while promoting greater awareness of Deaf communities worldwide.

As part of the exhibition, my postcards were distributed to visitors, and two of my paintings were exhibited at the Smolny Institute. Following the exhibition in Saint Petersburg, my paintings traveled to a museum exhibition in Moscow a few weeks later, extending their reach to an even broader audience. The exhibition was curated by Alexander Martyanov.

Participating in The World is Heard by the Soul was a significant milestone in the international recognition of De’VIA, demonstrating the movement’s growing influence and its ability to unite Deaf artists across the world through shared experiences, artistic expression, and cultural pride.