Portraits & Portals

Photo of smiling brown skinned man with waist length locs standing in front of a cream colored background with arms outstretched

“Creating a story with my painting brush as a weapon for voices that need to be seen and heard. I was partnered with J.R. and Lina, 2 kind and courageous individuals who survived the 2023 wildfires in Maui, Hawaiʻi.”

Fred Beam

The Process: From Lived Experiences to the Canvas

This captivating slideshow showcases the various stages of Fred’s artistic process.

More photos of Fred’s artistic process.

Fred Beam, a Black Deaf man, hugs Lena, a Hawaiian Deaf woman, while they both pose for a selfie with their hands in the sign for "love."
Fred with the inspiration for his work, Lena

The Final Piece: Hands Speaking In Burning Shadows ~ Maui

Fred Beam's Final Artwork. The artwork displays a central large painting surrounded by six smaller square paintings, three on each side. The central painting shows two main figures with angular, fragmented features in orange, red, and yellow. Multiple yellow hands are reaching toward them. Behind them, flames blaze while a fierce, totem-like mask looms over the scene. To the sides and bottom, shadowy figurines in gray and black appear in motion, suggesting people evacuating or responding to a crisis. Surrounding the central panel, the six smaller paintings illustrate different communication and emergency response methods: closed captions, text alerts, sign language interpretation, accessible door-knocks, fire alarms, and writing and speech-to-text.
Fred Beam’s Final Artwork

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    Praise for the Final Piece

    “it is almost an overwhelming piece because it is a reminder of so the multitude of issues that must be overcome by those who are deaf during a disaster. I am sure it is nothing compared to the overwhelming feeling that the person experiencing it must be experiencing.”

    “Oh all the hands, shadows. Urgency.”

    Biography

    Fred M. Beam, from Tampa, FL, has been a visual artist since he was a child. His work has been displayed at many art exhibitions nationwide. He strongly promotes and supports the theme of BlackDeaf Arts, not Black Deaf Arts.

    Fred is an advocate and patron of Black Deaf Artists. He has purchased and displayed some of the talents of Black Deaf Artists, who are underrepresented in the World of Arts. He is a Performing Artist, Actor, Poet, Director, Choreographer and has Danced in two international touring dance companies. He was the first deaf choreographer in DC to work in any theater production

    Among his many accomplishments, he is proud that he was one of Essence magazine’s Real Men of the Year and also Deaf Person of the Month in Deaf Life magazine. He also received a key to the city of Birmingham, Alabama for his outstanding work in the field of performing arts.