“International Day of Deafblindness” was commemorated on Saturday, and in line with the event, the Macau Deaf Association (MDA) launched the city’s first deafblind art exhibition “TOUCH the Heart” yesterday at the Cardinal Newman Centre for Culture and Arts Performance of Macau (CCCN) in Calçada da Vitória.
The June 27 date was designated by the United Nations last year, coinciding with the birthday of deafblind American author, disability rights advocate, and political activist Helen Keller (1880–1968), according to the UN website. She was also the first deafblind person to earn a bachelor’s degree.
Supported by the Social Welfare Bureau (IAS), the Macau exhibition showcases art created by deafblind individuals, with artworks ranging from paintings to calligraphy, while writings and informative videos are also on show. But it goes beyond that, with interactive sections and a workshop also on offer to enable exhibitiongoers to experience how deafblind individuals navigate life through art, and the world around them.
Among the areas are a section presenting works by individuals from both Macau and Hong Kong, while another features pieces made from memory by 84-year-old Fr. Cyril Axelrod OBE, a deafblind priest and author who is known for his work with deaf and blind people. He is also the founding president of the Macau Deaf Association, which launched in 1994.
Having authored several books, yesterday also saw the launch of his latest work “Conquest of Darkness”, which was published by the association. The bilingual (Chinese and English) book goes over his recent move back to Macau, challenges and how he faces them, among others. In its preface, Axelrod notes: “My book is my way of opening the world of deafblindness and showing how someone like me manages to achieve things in life, accepting challenges, confronting difficulties and finding solutions, and reaching toward my dreams”.
Born deaf in South Africa, Axelrod studied to be a priest and travelled across many countries to serve and minister to deaf communities. While set for missions in Southeast Asia, he went to Hong Kong in 1988, where he was also given the Chinese name Chan Man On, meaning “peace for people”, according to the book, which notes that around this time, his eyesight had been deteriorating.
A year later, he came to Macau. During that time, he noticed services that the deaf community was in need of, working towards both providing them and changing things. Among his accomplishments here are the setting-up of a special programme in a pre-school education centre for deaf and hearing-impaired children, along with his work towards the establishment of MDA.
According to the book, when he was 38, Axelrod was diagnosed with Usher Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that causes progressive hearing and vision loss, eventually becoming completely deafblind around the year 2000. By then, he was living in the UK.
Returning to Macau in 2024 under the association’s invitation, Axelrod receives care and support from the association while he also continues to promote deafblind services and training programmes.
The exhibition is on until July 12, being open from 11 a.m. through 6 p.m.
*More details and photos in an upcoming page 4.
Officiating guests and representatives including Fr. Cyril Axelrod OBE (first from left) pose for a group photo during yesterday’s opening ceremony at Cardinal Newman Centre for Culture and Arts Performance of Macau (CCCN).
Participants take part in a workshop after the opening ceremony of the exhibition “TOUCH the Heart” at the Cardinal Newman Centre for Culture and Arts Performance of Macau (CCCN)
