Sue Jo Wright is a Deaf artist whose creative practice spans various mediums including photography, video and textiles. Her work often explores the relationship between communication and identity, highlighting the complex dynamics of navigating social and cultural contexts. Drawing from lived experience, Wright’s work investigates “how we perceive each other and how others perceive the world”, encouraging empathy as a way to transcend boundaries.
Wright is also Creative Director of Handshapes, a creative workspace that offers workshops and events for and by the Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. The platform provides an accessible space for the community to gather and explore art and creativity.
She is a committed community arts advocate who strives to strengthen connections between the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community and the broader arts industry.
In this Colour Box Studio interview, Wright discusses changing careers to follow creative pursuits, her passion for teaching within the community and what inspires her to create work.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do.
I’m a freelancer and artist, using photography, video, and textiles to explore my identity as a Deaf person. I’m also the founder of Handshapes, which provides art workshops for kids and adults.
How did you start your creative practice and why?
I started my creative practice about 5-6 years ago when I decided to change my career. I was doing photography as a hobby. I didn’t want to work in a dull corporate environment lacking creativity, so I took a bold step and enrolled myself at TAFE NSW, St. George’s Fine Art College, Kogarah. It was the best decision ever.
Where did you grow up and how has it influenced your practice?
I grew up in Sydney, NSW, and a lot of things happened during my childhood and young adulthood that involved both positive and negative experiences related to being deaf.
I use my experience in my practice, teaching the wider community what it’s like and how I felt about it. Making my artworks transformed me; I felt like it was therapy and was empowering for who I am. I was tired of being controlled, so this time, it’s under my control.
Tell us about your past creative projects. What has been your most treasured creation /or a highlight so far?
My most treasured work “Disposable Feelings Series” is a handkerchief, hand-sewn with red threads and featuring common phrases that hearing people tell deaf people, which made me feel small and isolated. The deaf community who saw my artwork was very positive, and sparked many conversations which was great.
Tell us about your current project.
Currently, I’m developing a new project called “Dinner Table Syndrome” which will be an art video, presenting a deaf perspective in a silent visual format. The audience will rely on body language and gestures for visual communication, and hopefully, they will eventually understand how we all feel. I came up with this idea a year ago however, I don’t have sufficient funds to bring it to life just yet!
Who or what inspires your practice?
I’m a big fan of Louise Bourgeois, well-known for her work that reflects how she felt, particularly her troubled childhood memories. I admire her textile work – it’s incredibly powerful.
I can relate to her work because I have a complicated relationship with my hearing family and with the hearing world – it’s like a love-hate relationship. I don’t think I would have turned out well if it weren’t for the deaf community and my deaf husband, who taught me more about life. That’s why some of my work has been positive, accepting my identity and sign language, because it’s all thanks to the deaf community that shaped me into a happier person.
Where do you feel most creative and why?
I’m most creative when I’m not thinking at all. My weakness is overthinking, where I tend to get it all wrong. But when I have limited time and deadlines, that’s when the best ideas come out of nowhere, and they just feel right at the right time, strangely yes, but it works.
What do you hope audiences take from your work?
I hope my artwork inspires the public to rethink and build a bridge with the deaf community, which has been long overdue, honestly.
What gets you through creative challenges or tough industry times?
When things get very tough, I take a break and shift my focus to something else. I catch up on my favourite activities, go out for the weekend, meet up with friends, and visit galleries, just like everyone else. I also love to chat and brainstorm with my daughter Amy Josephine Wright, who is an illustrator and artist.
What future projects are you looking forward to?
I’m looking forward to developing more art workshops for deaf and hard of hearing people, working alongside organisations, which is something I’m passionate about. Growing up, I never saw a deaf artist leading the way in Australia until a few today. I want to see more deaf individuals become artists themselves because, currently, it’s limited due to a lack of access, and often people think that art is a waste of time. However, art can save a person’s life by giving them control, and a voice.
Whose work are you digging at the moment?
I’m a big fan of artists who create amazing textiles or paper collages. However, narrowing it down can be tricky! 🙂 I would love to see more recognition for deaf and disabled artists because they truly deserve it. One artist whose work I particularly love is Amy Claire Mills, a Disabled Textile Artist. She creates bright, colourful textiles with powerful messages.
Where can we find and follow you online?
You can find me at @suejowright for my artwork and my cute business @handshapes_
If you’re into visual art check out these Colour Box Studio interviews with other creatives: click here.
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