Academics

Internationally acclaimed Deaf artist Christine Sun Kim graced Gallaudet University with her presence on September 12. She gave an electrifying presentation titled “Repeat After Me: Claiming a Deaf Public Voice,” as part of the Deaf Studies program 30-year anniversary event bonanza. This event was open to the public, and was hosted at Foster Auditorium. 

During the hour-long presentation, Kim detailed her creative process and current and past art exhibits. After her presentation concluded, Kim fielded a wide range of questions from the audience about her artwork itself to how she navigated unique challenges as a Deaf artist.

The Deaf Studies department poses with Christine Sun Kim on the Washburn Art Gallery steps.

Originally from Orange County, California, Kim is currently based in Berlin, Germany, with her partner and children. She graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology, studied painting at New York’s School of Visual Arts, and pursued a further degree in sound and music at Bard College.

Kim is one of the co-creators of the open source symbol <0/ for “Deaf Power.” She uses her artwork and public platforms to illuminate the complexities of Deaf culture, its relationship to sound and language, intersectional identities, and the social hierarchies embedded in communication systems. (Source: Smithsonian American Art Museum)

The Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C. displayed Kim’s work from 2015 to 2020, and more recently hosted her work in the popular Musical Thinking exhibition that concluded in January 2024. 

Check out Kim’s website here: https://christinesunkim.com

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