CHENNAI: Every year, for four days, the village of Pattan Kodoli in Kolhapur (Maharashtra) gets cloaked in mists of turmeric, marking the birth anniversary of Vittal Birdev Maharaj, the presiding deity of Kolhapur’s shepherd community. In 2019, when Chennai-based photographer Srivatsan Sankaran made his way to the festival, to capture the myriad moods of the Vittal Birdev Yatra, little did he know that three years later, one of the photographs from the Yatra’s vibrant album would change his life. “It was in January this year, I was on Twitter, scrolling through my feed, and I noticed something.
One of the photographs that I mint as an NFT (Non-Fungible Token), was sold out. It was a celebratory image that I captured during the Pattan Kodoli festival. The same day, I sold another image to the same buyer, followed by a third as an NFT. It was life-changing for me. I felt respected, valued and happy,” recalls Srivatsan, founder of Madras Photo Bloggers, as he discusses the genesis of his latest social initiative — the Deaf Artist NFT Collective.
Tokenised communities
Introduced to the world of Non-fungible Tokens, blockchains and art as a digital asset in August 2021, the deaf photographer eventually began exploring the world of tokenised communities. “I didn’t have much guidance, so it took me five months to understand the process and take the first step. I mint my first NFT at the beginning of this year and put massive effort into connecting with artists and collectors. To connect with them in a space that isn’t traditionally accessible was a task. But I campaigned relentlessly on inclusivity for almost a month.
Soon, I garnered support and recognition, and my image landed a buyer! Once the images were sold, it gave me the confidence to further my campaign among the NFT community. In a few months, I formed the Deaf Artist NFT Collective, to ensure other deaf artists and creators are supported and given a space to showcase their work. The idea of the Collective is to bridge the gap between deaf artists and non-disabled communities,” shares Srivatsan, who has been an active campaigner for equity and inclusivity of those from his ilk.
Access to digital spaces
Since its inception in March 2022, the Collective has brought on board over 12 visual artists — who identify as deaf persons from across India, sold more than 20 artworks, and has made a collective six-digit revenue within a short span.
The goal of the endeavour is multifold. Advocating for inclusivity in the NFT platform, identifying and collaborating with deaf artists, educating, networking and empowering deaf artists, building a community for deaf artists, and bridging the gap between deaf and non-disabled communities by creating sign language awareness are the primary pursuits. “If we can work in tandem with these goals, we will be able to throw light on the brilliant works of deaf creators who often don’t find the platform to showcase their art.
Even if they do, communication becomes a problem, because most people rely on sign language. So through our collective, we will also be able to connect them with collectors and those interested in buying the artwork in the best possible way. The idea isn’t for revenue to drive our initiative but to create spaces that are accessible and inclusive. Sales are the byproduct of connections and effort,” he explains.
Driving diversity
While bridging the existing gap, Srivatsan also hopes to break the homogeneity that exists in several art spaces, making diversity thrive in the NFT and digital network. “When I joined the NFT community, it was challenging. It wasn’t inclusive and most of the communication was audio-oriented (it still is), making it difficult for people from the deaf community to connect and communicate. I couldn’t present my work to collectors and I found it difficult to cope with the pace.
But I climbed my way up and began campaigning about inclusivity through videos with subtitles and sign language. With Twitter being the primary platform through which we can showcase our work, I started using an audio synthesiser to convey the importance of inclusivity on Twitter’s Spaces. People began recognising these efforts,” he shares.
Finding this support in the fast-growing NFT space has given Srivatsan a sense of belonging. “We are currently focusing on educating the deaf artists who are part of the Collective and those who belong to the larger community about NFTs and digital assets. Becoming aware of the opportunities and potentially shared experiences will draw more artists to this space. The Collective hopes to stretch its reach to deaf artists and photographers in the country and other parts of the globe. These are our long-term goals,” he shares.
Currently, the NFT art space is driven by the support of a community of collectors, art enthusiasts and artists. This support and the draw rendered by the patrons and social ventures such as the Deaf Artist NFT Collective can turn inequitable spaces into a cradle for inclusivity and equality. The Collective, launched to create such advances, has, as part of the efforts, conducted two workshops for deaf students of photography to understand NFT and its impact.
A new world
While the discussion of the potential of NFTs is breakfast table conversation across the globe, it remains a relatively unexplored space for those who have been under-represented. For instance, according to a 2022 report by community platform NFT Club titled, ‘A World of NFT Adoption’, India headquartered 11 NFT companies and ranked fifth in the world in terms of Google searches related to NFT keywords. More than 3.5 million NFT-themed Google searches emerged from India during the 12-month study. However, India was still at the bottom of the table in NFT searches per 1,000 population with about just 254 searches.
“NFTs are a new world to everyone, especially for those who don’t have access. So, we have been taking small steps by first becoming a part of the NFT community, then taking part in conversations, presenting work through the collective and so on. It took almost two weeks to make the students understand what NFT is and how it works. Many artists are still exploring the platform. Most of the artists in NFT platforms are non-disabled and it’s very rare to see artists with disabilities. It’s difficult to be part of a community if we hide our disabilities. It takes time and a lot of will to come out and share our stories. But it’s worth it. Most of the collectors and buyers are warm and understanding. If we put in consistent effort, our voices will be heard,” asserts Srivatsan.
With most deaf artists depending on sign language to communicate, Srivatsan has not only been urging the deaf community to take other approaches but has also been teaching them English to communicate with fellow artists and collectors from non-disabled communities. “Workshops on NFT terms are conducted through sign language, and artists are taught English to ease communication. So far, understanding of the language has varied among artists. But we are tracking their daily progress and providing feedback and suggestions. It’s quite interesting to document this new journey,” he elaborates.
A buyer can reach the creators in the Collective through Twitter. “Usually, NFT artists promote their artwork on social media pages, especially Twitter and talk about their work on Twitter Spaces. When Spaces happen, many artists and collectors join the live audio meeting. We usually present our work in other meetings that can synthesise the audio or that have subtitles, and talk about it. If the collectors feel connected, they will buy our work. The artworks are available on the Open Sea website and we tag the link in Twitter Spaces to enable purchase. It isn’t a linear process for those who are deaf and have other disabilities. That’s why such a Collective can empower the artists,” he shares.
Decentralising control
NFT art has given artists with disabilities a new space to showcase their work and take them to potential buyers. Skirting them away from the traditional art industry, where finding new audiences for commissions is often a herculean task, the NFT bubble is putting creatives in control of their art and Srivatsan notes that it is a life-changing moment and a liberating movement. “The art industry in the real world is still finding its footing. It is refreshing to see, here on the internet and in the NFT space, that there is so much interest in what we do. When the artists present their work in the NFT space, they feel respected and valued,” he shares.
With international events like NFT.NYC, an exhibition at New York’s Times Square showcasing NFT art, we ask Srivatsan if there’s potential for a similar scenario in the city’s galleries. “Of course! I see galleries showcasing NFT collections of our artists, like NYC Times Square does every year. It has the prospect to attract a lot of collectors and I think that way, the awareness will grow and more people will buy the artworks from galleries as well,” he says.
Snippets from artists
Venkatesh Babu, 32, photographer
P hotography means connection to me. I love capturing people, festivals and mountains. NFT gave me a sense of purpose and I love to take more photos now with the support of the Deaf Artist NFT Collective. Since I can communicate only using sign language, it’s challenging to be part of market spaces and social media spaces such as Twitter that are audio-oriented. It takes away the rightful visibility that works of people from the spectrum deserve. But I will never give up on my vision to create more and connect with more people!”
Aravind R, 21, photographer
P hotography to me means memories. I wasn’t aware of NFT until Srivatsan introduced me to it. The journey has empowered me because many people from across the country now know about me and my work. While the NFT space is growing, it needs to become more inclusive for deaf creators. My vision is to explore travel photography, gain more knowledge and encourage fellow photographers who are deaf. The goal is to reach a balance where both, deaf photographers and those who can hear can stabilise their careers and where any disability isn’t an obstacle to equal opportunities.”
Simron Raj, 27, artist
A rt gives me joy. NFT has given me an avenue to take my talent across boundaries and people. It’s overwhelming to see how the community is coming forward to support me and my work. It is truly empowering. through NFT, I am optimistic that I can sustain myself as an artist. I love teaching art to children with disabilities and with the knowledge I gain, I want to further those efforts.”