Shalom Nuhu: Spreading deaf awareness through my photography degree

My name is Shalom and I am currently studying photography at the University of Portsmouth. I live in Lewes. I was born profoundly deaf and I am a cochlear implant user. My interests include art, fashion design and photography

When I was a teenager, I was drawn to my sister’s GCSE photography work and I felt really interested in it. I decided to try photography for myself in my GCSE and it turned out to be really enjoyable.

When I first used a digital camera I found it hard to understand how to use it. I used film and went into the dark room to produce negatives. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy the experience as much as I did. I loved it!

The one thing that I struggled with when processing film for the first time was that it took me 5 times to get the film developed correctly. Because of this, I used to not like that part of it. I said to myself that “I won’t process film again,” but I have as I now enjoy the film and using a film camera.

I am the only deaf student in my course at University. In my first year before lockdown, I had a notetaker, a teacher of the deaf (who helps me with the grammar, sentence structure and clarity) and my CSW (interpreter) who I was surprised to find that I knew my CSW from college.

In the beginning I kept asking the University for more interpreters as I have classes almost every day, but at least I had classmates that I could ask for help or to make sure I didn’t miss out on something important. I thought it might be harder for me to communicate and make new friends, but it turned out it wasn’t.

In my second year, during the lockdown, I had more interpreters and a notetaker which was great and even better than the first year. My classmates all know that I’m deaf, especially my lecturers. Some of my classmates/friends asked me a few questions about my deafness and now know what to do to communicate with me which I am really grateful for.

Before the Covid-19 restriction; my lecturers had to make sure I can read their lips when they took their masks off. Of course, encountering barriers is always difficult, but I overcome them as I always believe you can find a way.

When I had to choose a theme for my major project, at first I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do until I decided to choose deafness because I wanted to share deafness experience. I want the viewers to understand what it being deaf in the hearing world is like and to experience deafness – I want to put them in my shoes.

I involved British Sign Language in the photography shoot because it is important to understand using BSL is so important for communicating and I want to encourage people not to be afraid to communicate with deaf people using a different method. I modelled for the shoot so the person in the photos is me.

In my class, my classmates, lecturers and notetakers, don’t know everything about deaf culture or deaf awareness. I wanted to show the issues that we have. I feel they are something people should learn about because it is important to understand what things should be like and shouldn’t be like.

For example, in my first year, I photographed a model signing British Sign Language to show the communication barriers between hearing and deaf people. The theme is not just communication barriers, it’s more to do with deaf issues because I feel strongly there has to be deaf members from the deaf communities involved in everything so that they don’t miss out. I feel that photography can tell a story that nobody knows about.

When asked if my deafness has been advantageous to my work, there are two things I want to say:

1. Yes, it helps me because of course I have senses. I learn to listen and watch carefully in order to work in photography. I still have things I want to improve in order to be better. I learned a lot through pictures and images which is why visual imagery is so important to me.

2. Being deaf is nothing to do with photography because it doesn’t stop me doing the photography, or doing art – I would even like to draw and more. I have visuals and hands that can do things well. Being deaf is part of my identity, who I am and where I am now.

I love to photograph fashion and portraits – that’s my strength. Wherever I go, walking through crowds, or taking a look at what I see surrounding me, I often photograph whatever I am interested in.

I would like to take more fashion shoots and portraits. I would also love to travel so I could take photos of the places, and maybe even film weddings! I’d love to go to places that I have never seen before and even look at new foods or animals.

After my graduation later this year, I’m planning to study for a Masters. I have applied for photography, fashion photography and fashion & textiles at different universities so watch this space!

Shalom has exhibitions coming up in Portsmouth and London. You can find details of these and her social media pages below:

Instagram: photographynuhu
Website: www.nuhuphotography.com

Exhibitions:
Middleman by all 3rd-year Photography students at the University of Portsmouth
Instagram: middleman.gradshow
www.middlemangradshow.com
Eldon Building, Winston Churchill Avenue, Portsmouth PO1 2DJ :-

Celebration event: 17/06/22 from 5pm
Graduate Show: 20/06/22 – 24/06/22

Exhibiting at Free Range
81 Brick Lane, London E1 6QL :-
Opening Night: 30/06/22 from 6pm