Hands - It's Handiwork at Sonic Chromatic

"Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, it's at thefact the whole unspoken language that is conveyed
end of your arm, as you get older, remember youthrough the hands and fingers. For those that are not
have another hand: The first is to help yourself, theimpaired by these senses, tend to treat their hands
second is to help others." - Audrey Hepburn.with less significance in conjunction to failing to realize
Truly, hands are one important and effective tool thatthe importance of the hand gestures unlike those that
humans are made with. It is amazing as to see theare hearing or speech impaired person. A simple hand
actual working of the hand with regard to the stimulusexpression can have an intense emotion or a powerful
of the brain. Especially the use of fingers along with theword behind it.
hand plays a greater role. Hands help the person in hisSome people would treat their hands as some treat
her everyday activities , yet one fails to realize thetheir feet, not giving a second thought to how hands
importance of it on a daily bases. Hands are not justcontribute to the quality of daily living. For deaf and
for doing some work that accomplishes millions ofhard of hearing people, hands are their great assets.
tasks, (if one has to jot down every single and evenThey are not just for eating or picking up things. Hands
simple activity done by the hand) but has loads in store.are their link to the world, their main method of
Hands is something that most of us cannot do withoutcommunicating ideas, thoughts and emotions to others.
almost as if we are dependent on it. It is kind ofHands, with a few and fluid hand shapes, can convey
astonishing that most of us don't realize that we usean infinite amount of information. When a person signs,
our hands for not just work but also to gesture to thethe world is placed in front of the deaf or hard of
other, our response to the ongoing conversationhearing individual. And these very hands when deploy
without even having to let a word out of the mouth.art on canvas express the thoughts of the deaf to a
For e.g. a handshake. This gesture itself can reflect agreater extent than the usual.
lot on one's persona based on the extent to which theDeaf artist, Charles Wildbank has communicated
arm is extended, the firmness in the handshake, thethroughout his life through art. He sees the world
length of the handshake etc. Similarly the position ofthrough light, color and American Sign Language, and it
the hands or what the hands are doing at the time ofshows in the three of his works displayed in the show,
a conversation also echoes the characteristics of a'Sonic Chromatic', which are 'Love',' Knowledge' and
person.'Freedom'. By employing photorealism, he achieves in
To a deaf or hard of hearing person or even aconveying the inner world of a deaf and hard of
speech-impaired, the hand is one main mode ofhearing individual who embraces his Deaf and hard of
communication to the person alike or to the rest of thehearing identity.
world. It is not just gestures but words, sentences, in