Arnaud Balard (born 1971) is a French deafblind artist. In 2009, Balard wrote a manifesto outlining his philosophy of Surdism, an artistic, philosophical, and cultural movement celebrating deaf culture and deaf arts (including cinema, theater, literature, and visual arts). He is also known for designing the Sign Union flag, an image intended to represent global unity for deaf and deafblind people.

Early life and education

Arnaud Balard was born in 1971 in

Toulouse Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and from Par ...

. Balard was born deaf; as an adult, he developed tunnel vision and was diagnosed with deteriorating vision caused by Usher syndrome in 1999. From age three to seven, Balard lived with an aunt to attend deaf school. Since he was able to learn French, he attended mainstream schools from age eight to eighteen. He attended Ecole Sainte Therese and Collège Privé Sainte-geneviève Saint-joseph in

Rodez Rodez ( or ; oc, Rodés, ) is a small city and commune in the South of France, about 150 km northeast of Toulouse. It is the prefecture of the department of Aveyron, region of Occitania (formerly Midi-Pyrénées). Rodez is the seat of the ...

. His education was conducted through

oral The word oral may refer to: Relating to the mouth * Relating to the mouth, the first portion of the alimentary canal that primarily receives food and liquid **Oral administration of medicines ** Oral examination (also known as an oral exam or oral ...

French; he did not learn French Sign Language until he was an adult. He attended Université de Toulouse-Le Mirail from 1992 to 1993, before transferring to the École MJM Graphic Design, studying there from 1993 to 1995. From 1995 to 1998, Balard attended the European Academy of Art in Brittany on the

Rennes Rennes (; br, Roazhon ; Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France at the confluence of the Ille and the Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department ...

campus, graduating with the congratulations of the jury. In 2000, he moved to Brussels and studied at l'École nationale supérieure des arts visuels de La Cambre.

Activism and artwork

Balard writes, teaches classes and workshops, and creates artwork that promotes deaf culture. In 2009, he wrote a 22-page manifesto coining the word "Surdism" (from the French word for deaf, ''sourd'') and arguing for the importance of deaf arts and greater acceptance of deaf identity. Balard was unaware at the time of the similar

De'VIA Deaf View/Image Art, abbreviated as De'VIA, is a genre of visual art that intentionally represents the Deaf experience and Deaf culture. Although De'VIA works have been created throughout history, the term was first defined and recognized as an ar ...

arts movement which had originated in the United States in 1989, but Surdism differs from De'VIA in its inclusion of arts beyond visual arts, such as theater, cinema, and literary works. The Surdism manifesto urges the use of creative works to challenge hearing privilege and advocate for equality, ending with the statement: "Audism denigrates, Deafhood welcomes, Surdism reveals." As Balard's vision has deteriorated, his artwork has shifted from drawing to digital art, and again from digital visual art to theater and performance art.

Sign Union flag

Balard is also known as the designer of the Sign Union flag. After studying flags around the world and

vexillology Vexillology ( ) is the study of the history, symbolism and usage of flags or, by extension, any interest in flags in general.Smith, Whitney. ''Flags Through the Ages and Across the World'' New York: McGraw-Hill, 1975. Print. The word is a synthe ...

principles for two years, Balard revealed the design of the flag, featuring the stylized outline of a hand. The three colors which make up the flag design are representative of Deafhood and humanity (dark blue), sign language (turquoise), and enlightenment and hope (yellow). Balard intended the flag to be an international symbol which welcomes deaf people. The Deaf French National Federation approved the flag in May 2014 and it has been flown in locations around the world.

References

External links

Surdism Manifesto 2009

Deaf Flag Arnaud Balard (surdist artist)
6-minute video featuring Balard explaining the creation of the Sign Union flag, in French Sign Language with English voiceover and English captions (2022) archived a
Ghostarchive.org
on 14 May 2022 {{DEFAULTSORT:Balard, Arnaud Living people 1971 births 21st-century French male artists French deafblind people Flag designers Artists from Toulouse University of Toulouse-Jean Jaurès alumni French blind people