My Life as a Deaf Canadian born Pakistani Artist

I was born into a big family being the only one profoundly deaf. I was born in Canada and my roots stem from from India and Pakistan. I come from a family of eight where I was the only person in my family to learn American Sign Language.

I have experienced many negative life-changing events growing up. I have faced oppression and much discrimination as a result of my deafness. I have been labeled an “outsider” all my life and was even forbidden to sign at Clairlea Public School from 1981 to 1992 in Toronto, Ontario. Despite all the negative interactions I have faced being deaf, I have experienced positive interactions within the Deaf community and when learning more sign language at Northern Secondary School in Toronto. Notably, American Sign Language was an official language in Canada in 1993. I attended the National Technical Institute for the Deaf where I earned an Associate’s degree in Business Technology in the 1990s and earned a Medical Administration Certificate from Centennial College in 2011.

I refuse to be labelled as a “handicapped/disabled” artist, “an artist who happens to be hearing impaired”, or “an artist who cannot hear or speak”. I am a Deaf artist, and that’s how I want to be identified. I use my passion for art to illustrate the hardships I have faced and every painting holds a powerful meaning.

Art is my passion. I create my own ideas and express my experiences of inequality, communication inaccessibility, language control, stereotyping, marginalization through Deaf art. I believe art is a form of communication, a way to represent individual ideas, and how art bridges cultures. I enjoy teaching ASL in all communities.

Helping my students find time to express themselves is important. Painting improves self-esteem and inspires people to reach new skill levels; it gives people a peace of mind and allows them to express themselves in an open environment where they can explore their own creativity. As a Deaf artist and creative thinker, I also provide the Deaf and hearing communities with joy, interaction, and inspiration. 🤟🏽❤️🫶🏽

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Shaffie Art Studio