Introduction

Encountering Our Raíces del Arte del Corazón y Color to the Cube

Painting, drawing, sculpture, writing, photography, and fashion design served as art modalities for Hispanic/Latina/Latine/Latino/Latinx Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, Hard of Hearing, and Late-Deafened (DDBDDHHLD) artists to profoundly express their lived experiences. They come from various residency/citizenship status: some of the artists are born and raised in the United States; some are undocumented; and some are exiled from their home countries. The combination of Spanish-speaking environments at home; the dominant use of oral and written English in academia; the use of sign languages from their home countries; and learning American Sign Language presented many intersectional experiences in the artists’ life journeys.

The first art exhibition of La Descolonización del Arte: A Celebration of Our Raíces is a collection of reflections from these artists within this particular art movement. The exhibition features selected artwork from past exhibitions, Arte del Corazón and Color to the Cube, that were showcased at the RIT/NTID Dyer Arts Center. Our work explores the unique and dynamic relationships between the fine arts and our raíces (roots) from Latin America, the Caribbean, and the United States. The artworks present the many identities, heritages, lived experiences, beliefs, values, and cultural practices.

The invisibility, lack of historical documentation and publication of the artworks of Deaf Artists of Color has never been too apparent; it inspired us to take the initiative to not only preserve but make these artworks visible. This act is a reflection of love and resistance for our community that deserves recognition in the art world. Since 2017, Roberto Sandoval has been working on starting the process of publishing a book with the collection of artwork from Arte del Corazón. By titling this first art exhibition Encountering Our Raíces del Arte del Corazón y Color to the Cube, you will encounter the many Hispanic/Latina/Latine/Latino/Latinx DDBDDHHLD artists and their work in these listed categories: El Alma; Creencia; La Tierra and Its Destruction; Vitalidad; Liberación; and Interseccionalidad. We invite you as a special witness and celebrant to this history-making art exhibit!