Visual Narrative and Deaf Culture in Séno Mókere Káxe Koixómuneti. Sol: a pajé surda

Abstract

This article analyzes Ivan Souza's work Séno Mókere Káxe Koixómuneti. Sol: a Pajé surda through a dialogue between text semiotics and sign language linguistics. It aims to investigate how the language of comics, as a visual narrative medium, responds to the communicative specificities of the Deaf community and proves adequate for the representation of sign languages and Deaf cultures. Situated at the intersection of Indigenous literature and Deaf literature, the work registers elements of the oral culture and sign language of the Terena people, articulating visual narrative and linguistic memory. The analysis is grounded in the hypothesis that comics, as a multimodal sign system, not only register but also produce specific meanings for the Deaf experience, expanding the possibilities of expression and documentation of minority languages and cultures. By challenging the boundaries between word, image, and gesture, Souza's work offers a fertile field for rethinking the relations between narrative medium, visuality, and language.