Daniela Salazar, a deaf person, has completed her studies in the Plastic Arts program at the University of Cauca. Her thesis work and life story reflect her contribution to building a more inclusive, conscious, and respectful house of learning that embraces diversity.

With immense joy and pride, Daniela Carelly Salazar Jiménez, a student with hearing disability from the Plastic Arts program at the University of Cauca, successfully defended her thesis project Resurgence from the Earth: Corn and the Gesture that Resists in Santa Rosa on Monday, March 31, 2025, at the Contemporary Exhibition Hall of the Faculty of Arts.

 

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In her thesis, Daniela set out to share how weaving and embroidering figures of corn contributed to the development of communication within her personal and family context as a deaf person, demonstrating that art can be a powerful tool for expression and cohesion. Through a methodology based on dialogue spaces, observation, active participation, drawing on family histories and traditions, visiting museums, and studying images from her reference artists, she identified nonverbal communication patterns that emerge from the artistic process.

Her research/creation project contributes to the understanding of artistic practices in the field of accessible communication and to the development of inclusive methodologies for interaction with deaf individuals.

“This project shows how families can overcome communication barriers when they do not have access to sign languages or other structured communication methods. By documenting and analyzing how my family in Santa Rosa created a visual communication system through weaving and embroidery, this thesis offers a tangible example of how cultural and artistic practices can adapt to meet specific communication needs. This social contribution is valuable, as it proposes a methodology that other families in similar situations can replicate, adapting art to their own contexts and needs,” said Daniela Salazar.

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And if that wasn’t enough, this isn’t Daniela’s first contribution to building a more inclusive and accessible world. In 2023, as part of the Cultural Management course, she designed and led the project Inclusive Unicauca, which implemented signage adapted in Colombian Sign Language (LSC) at the Faculty of Arts, aiming to help deaf individuals navigate physical spaces, access institutional information, and complete academic and administrative procedures.

Now, having completed her undergraduate program, Daniela Salazar feels an indescribable sense of satisfaction:
"This work leaves me with many lessons and challenges, especially in the field of arts, as I tried to address sensitive aspects like disability, opening a door for my community into this area of knowledge. The challenges required by this thesis were countless, as it wasn't just about compiling memories, traditions, or customs, but about offering an organic perspective from a woman, deaf, from Cauca, a victim of violence who had to leave her territory, Santa Rosa, and face a new reality: life in the city."

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Finally, one of the things she values most about the process is her evolution as an artist:
“It’s no secret that deaf people live a different reality compared to hearing people when it comes to communication, but it was this difference that pushed me toward a conscious creation process. Seeing my community present during the defense of my thesis gave me the satisfaction of having drawn academic attention to the potential of disability. When I defended my project, my heart beat not only for me but for the deaf children who today see me as an example of perseverance, sacrifice, and vocation. I can only say, thank you! Because it wasn’t easy, but today I raise the flag of my community with pride. No path to greatness is easy or secure, but today I can say it was all worth it. Deaf Power!”

 

Written by: Communications Management Center