About
What is DEAF.art?
DEAF.art is a centralized digital platform designed as the definitive global home for Deaf art professionals.
Serving as a completely free, universally accessible directory and community space, it unites Deaf artists, creators, and visionaries from around the world to celebrate the entire Deaf art ecosystem.
Why We Do It
We created DEAF.art because the Deaf art community deserves a world-class platform of its own.
Deaf artists are often overshadowed by the mainstream art world, lacking a dedicated space that champions visibility, accessibility, intersectionality, and Deaf cultural nuance.
Our purpose is rooted in pure empowerment. Financial constraints should never stand in the way of a Deaf artist's success—which is why DEAF.art is, and always will be, completely free.
The Spark
The spark for DEAF.art ignited when Akihiro Yonaiyama invited Cobi Sewell to Japan. Yonaiyama didn't just want a meeting; he operated with a fierce, uncompromising drive to dismantle the limits society placed on Deaf children. "To show that they can," he would often say. He passed away on January 29, 2023, before Sewell could make the journey, but that unfulfilled invitation transformed into a concrete vow. The mission was to build a global sanctuary where young artists could see their own boundless futures reflected back at them—a loud, undeniable declaration to the world that we are here, and that we can.
A platform on its own is just an empty gallery. DEAF.art only comes alive through the unapologetic energy of the community. We built the foundation, but it takes the collective drive of Deaf creators to turn this space into a living legacy.
The Logo
Drawn and designed by Cobi Sewell, the DEAF.art logo balances bold simplicity with deep meaning. The outer "D" for Deaf is designed as a painter's palette, with the ASL handshape for the letter "A" representing art at its core. That central handshape ties the language to the canvas—serving as the sign for expression, poetry, acting, and more, mirroring the literal grip of squeezing a tube of paint.
