SIGNS OF COMPASSION
Exhibition
The Signs of Compassion exhibition invites visitors into a contemplative space where art speaks through silence and gesture. At the heart of this immersive gallery are 30 lenticular portraits by American artist Miggs Burroughs, each depicting a diverse individual performing a word or phrase in American Sign Language (ASL) from a deeply moving poem by Emily Dickinson. Alongside these portraits, a sculptural work by Mark Yurkiw — the Mantra Wheel — transforms Dickinson’s words into a tactile mantra, expanding the experience into both visual and physical dimensions.
As visitors move past each work, the lenticular printing technique creates the illusion of motion — subtle, poetic gestures unfold like verses in a living poem. These portraits don’t merely depict; they perform. Through changing perspectives, the artwork literally shifts in front of your eyes, transforming still photography into an experience of kinetic empathy. Inspired by Dickinson’s timeless poem:
This exhibition becomes a silent poetry reading, rendered in signs rather than sounds — an invitation to witness compassion in motion without needing spoken language.
The gallery’s design fosters quiet focus, featuring soft lighting, open spaces, and minimal distractions. Visitors are encouraged to slow down, observe, and reflect — allowing each gesture to settle in the heart like a line of verse.
Signs of Compassion is not simply an art exhibition. It is a shared human moment — a message of solidarity, diversity, and healing, delivered through the universal power of empathy.
Discover more about the artists featured here in the bio section: Miggs Burroughs↗, Mark Yurkiw↗.
As visitors move past each work, the lenticular printing technique creates the illusion of motion — subtle, poetic gestures unfold like verses in a living poem. These portraits don’t merely depict; they perform. Through changing perspectives, the artwork literally shifts in front of your eyes, transforming still photography into an experience of kinetic empathy. Inspired by Dickinson’s timeless poem:
If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.
This exhibition becomes a silent poetry reading, rendered in signs rather than sounds — an invitation to witness compassion in motion without needing spoken language.
The gallery’s design fosters quiet focus, featuring soft lighting, open spaces, and minimal distractions. Visitors are encouraged to slow down, observe, and reflect — allowing each gesture to settle in the heart like a line of verse.
Signs of Compassion is not simply an art exhibition. It is a shared human moment — a message of solidarity, diversity, and healing, delivered through the universal power of empathy.
Discover more about the artists featured here in the bio section: Miggs Burroughs↗, Mark Yurkiw↗.
IF
I
CAN
STOP
ONE
HEARTBREAK
I WILL
NOT
LIVE
WITHOUT
PURPOSE
IF
I
CAN
EASE
LIFE
ACHING
COOL
ONE
PAIN
HELP
ONE
FAINTING
ROBIN
NEST
I WILL
NOT
LIVE
WITHOUT
PURPOSE
