The artists who pour their hearts out

Students at Deaf Reach School express themselves through vivid images

KARACHI: Art speaks louder than words. In fact, when you walk down the corridor of Deaf Reach School in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Karachi, the large canvasses adorning classroom walls, pottery crafted by small hands and clothes designed by children will leave you at a loss for words.

"The deaf are artists of their own kind," says Sobia, who heads the vocational training at the school.

Over the years, she has witnessed many such artists flourish before her eyes. According to her, those with hearing impairments have an innate ability to express themselves through art.

One such talented young individual is 13-year-old Usman Ashfaq. A student of eighth grade, he is the star of the school. His oil on canvas depicting a blue horse was sold in Dubai. And now, he’s psyched to produce more amazing work.



Coming from a family with hearing impairment, Ashfaq found support at home. "My mother encourages me not to waste time and paint as much as I can," he tells The Express Tribune with the help of an interpreter.

His face lights up as he talks about how much he loves to use pencils, oil paints and water colours.

For Ashfaq, inspiration is all around him, be it an image from a movie or something in nature that arrests his attention.

Sobia says her students are more inclined towards skill-based education.

"English and computers top the list of their favourite subjects because it gives them hands-on experience," she adds, maintaining that art is just an extension of these skill-based activities.

For 19-year-old Huda Muhammad Ali, colours are akin to sounds she can hear and relate to.



 

"I usually download images from the internet in my phone and incorporate new techniques in my paintings," she says with excitement. Her specialty is the portraits she makes.

Many students at Deaf Reach School use art as a medium to express themselves – their inner desires, fears and concerns.

Second-year intermediate student Rabia Aslam’s painting of a woman with her head down, sitting under the open sky illuminated by a full moon is one such example.

"This would be me, if one day I find that all my friends have left me," she explains, pointing to the woman shrouded in solitude amid shades of blue and black.

But it is difficult to imagine Rabia alone, not with art to keep her company.