Ann Silver
As an internationally recognized Deaf graphic artist/designer/illustrator and co-founder of the historic Deaf Art Movement (DAM) during the 1960s (21 years before the De'VIA movement), Ann Silver is a master of Deaf Pop Art, in which her iconic work merges ASL, Deaf culture, and Pop Art. As a pioneer artivist, she has fought tirelessly for recognition, equality, and social justice for the Deaf artist community, and also advocates for the inclusion of Deaf art in the museum/gallery world and in academia. The subject of a biography titled Ann Silver: Deaf Artist Series from Empyreal Press, she resides in her hometown of Seattle.
In the artist’s own words:
Experiencing various cultures firsthand heightened my senses, making me aware of how I express myself in terms of art. Visual art was my entry point into all of this. Linguistic and cultural variety enriched my perceptions, and everything I experience finds its way into my art.
As much as society tried to influence me otherwise, I had to honor that part of me that knew from an early age the importance of being open about my triple identity. The road to learning about what it means to be Deaf, Jewish and gay has been a source of my artistic expression.