Signs of Quiet Strength

The project presents a series of quotations by Rotem Ashkenazi, an Israeli deaf athlete and the first deaf tennis coach in Israel. The texts are displayed in a fragmented illustrated typeface developed by the students and inspired by sign language, with each letter assigned a unique form and color.

Throughout the semester, third-year students at Sami Shamoon College of Engineering were invited to create a contemporary interpretation of a stained-glass work centered on the admiration of a sporting figure. Through light, color, and black outlines, participants explored themes of admiration, devotion, achievement, and dreams. Over the course of the project, the notions of glorification and the light passing through the images acquired new meanings and interpretations.

In response to the questions of what constitutes achievement and success in the world of sports, the project offers a reflection on perseverance, the determination to succeed and lead, the ability to bring what is often perceived as marginal to the center, and the power of silence.

“For years, silence was my greatest enemy. As a deaf child, I felt that the world around me spoke a language I could not decipher, and that I had no voice, until I stepped onto the tennis court.

With a racket in my hand, silence became a source of strength. There, people did not need to hear me—they needed to see my determination. I learned that a limitation is only a starting point.”