Be still among noise
Absence makes hearts grow fonder
A whisper is heard

This haiku is based on a new body of work, entitled Presence | Absence, exploring multi-sensory languages and minority forms of communication imbued with spirituality. 

In 1845, Dr. William Moon, an English teacher from England who became completely blind as a young adult, designed an embossed typeface called Moon letters for those who lost their vision later in life and who could not learn the complexities of Braille but could still identify the familiar shapes of the Latin alphabet. Readers learned this embossed design within days, while Braille typically takes months to years to master. Unfortunately, the cost and labour to print, and the dominance of Braille made the reproduction of Moon type to become a rarity. 

In honour of this unique, long-forgotten, accessible font, I have created a haiku in large Moon letters responding to spiritual themes, which Dr. Moon also expressed as evident in his alphabet chart with a message, “God is love”, as well as reproductions of the Lord’s Prayer and the Bible in Moon script. 

This haiku is an invitation to be still in order to notice what is unseen or overlooked when environments around us become too loud and chaotic. Situated in a bustling flea market, the gallery operates as a sanctuary for shoppers who seek a moment of peace in their day. It is also an invitation for sighted audiences to learn alternative ways of communication that spreads awareness of non-visual access, allowing all audiences, both visual and non-visual, to decode the message for themselves. This safe and quiet space for acknowledging those who are underrepresented in visual spaces becomes a place for learning and listening through the collective discovery of interpreting accessible text.

Olivia Brouwer is an interdisciplinary artist based in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada, holding a BFA from the Art and Art History joint program at the University of Toronto and Sheridan College. Her work has been exhibited across Canada, the USA and England. 

As a partially blind artist, Brouwer explores the idea of blindness through visual art. Inspired by the Rorschach Inkblot Test, she addresses blindness by examining ideas surrounding belief, perception, clarity, and sight with an abstract image. Her current work addresses visual art accessibility, the “viewing” culture of visual spaces, and the activation of human senses beyond the reliance of vision, such as touch and sound, enabling an inclusive experience for both sighted and non-sighted viewers.