Adrean Clark

THE ARTIFACT SERIES

Adrean Clark is a Deaf author and illustrator. In her recent series of artwork, she answers the question, "What kind of art would we inherit if our country had an American Sign Language-centric heritage?"

The first work of the Artifacts series, Dandelions, is an Art Deco-influenced homage to the ASL poet Clayton Valli’s classic poem. The viewer is put into Valli’s perspective as a signer, and given the opportunity to experience the power of ASL.

An image of a dandelion with a sun-like center is set behind two hands

making the ASL sign for dandelion.

Dandelion
Artifact Series

A peek into the mind of a Deaf artist is given in Creative Vision. Two words are portrayed, “vision” in ASL, and “creative” in written ASL hidden twice at center. The intentional inclusion of written ASL in the Artifact series is to prove the legitimacy of a written counterpart to American Sign Language. Writing carries a historical record, and ASL is as worthy as any spoken language to have this privilege.

A large bowl in the center with hands signing 'creative' and 'vision'

behind and in front of it

Creative Vision
Artifact Series

More on the Artifact Series and Adrean’s other artwork can be seen at http://www.adreanaline.com and http://society6.com/adrean .

Artist Adrean Clark discusses her Artifact series and other aspects of her work in an interview in this issue of Wordgathering.