Aural Transferences has been an ongoing process of exploring the depths of memory of sound from childhood as a native Deaf-from-birth person. When I had only 10% hearing as a Deaf child, I was able to wear hearing aids and heard many sounds that became visuals. I have been using my artistic process to meditate on those memories into colour lines as notes. Working on this large 3-meter long work, I filmed a portion of myself in creation process and saw my memories of those sounds play out in my movements and I chose music with the help of my hearing partner Zoe, that fit just right with this work just like that. I recorded those notes of my memories of each section along the paper in white pen and pastel on the black that acts as a veil for memories of sound from Deaf ears.
Chelle Destefano is a Deaf multidisciplinary artist working in drawing, painting, printmaking, performance work and textiles. Her works currently centre around memory and identity exploring childhood memories and her inner-child which is an important part of her identity and her Deaf experiences. Chelle believes Auslan should be a site of resistance against audism and oppression for the Deaf culture and Deaf community. Recently Chelle was selected for the Art Gallery of Ballarat exhibition program to have a solo exhibition later this year. Chelle has been a finalist in many art prizes including the Michael Beazer Works on Paper Prize, Wyndham Art Prize, Nillumbik Art Prize, Castlemaine’s Print Prize, Kedumba Drawing Prize, Incinerator Art Award, Footscray Art Award, Lyn McCrea Drawing Prize and the Lake Art Prize. She was a winner of the Lake Art Prize in 2020 and more recently the Nillumbik Prize in 2025.
Image: ‘Aural Transferences I’, Chelle Destefano, 2024, charcoal and gouache on paper, 76 x 60 cm.
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