Abstract: For this essay, we had to create a visual or multimedia essay that explores a social, cultural, or political event that we wanted to discuss. We had the option of picking a video/photo essay, infographic, and more. In addition, we were asked to write an artist statement explaining our thought process and the purpose of our visual essay.
“Deed Theft and Displacement”
Artist Statement:
For this project, I created an infographic focused on deed theft and displacement, a form of housing injustice that affects low-income homeowners, especially elderly residents and people of color. I chose this topic because I didn’t know much about it but once I started doing research, I realized how serious and common it is. It’s one of those issues that many people don’t really think about, but it can completely change someone’s life. Housing is often seen as something stable and permanent, but deed theft shows how quickly that stability can be taken through fraud, legal manipulation, and lack of protection in real estate systems.
The goal of my infographic was to make a legal and social issue easier to understand visually. Deed theft can include forged signatures, fake documents, or people taking advantage of homeowners who may not fully understand the legal process. What stood out to me the most is that it often affects communities that already deal with housing instability and most victims don’t even realize what happened until they are already at risk of losing their home.
When designing the infographic, my main goal was to make the information easy to understand and not overwhelming. Housing and legal issues can get confusing, so I broke everything down into simple sections, showing what deed theft is, how it happens, warnings, who it affects, and the impact. I also focused on the structure and spacing to guide the viewer through the information step by step instead of everything feeling mixed together. The way I organized it is how I learned the topic myself, starting with the definition and worked my way down.
Another important part of the project is displacement. Deed theft isn’t just about property but it’s also about losing stability, community, and generational wealth. When people are being pushed out of neighborhoods, it contributes to bigger issues like housing inequality and gentrification, especially in cities like New York. I wanted to include that, so the issue feels more real and connected to larger systems, not just individual cases. Therefore, the infographic ends with a brief reminder of the key points, so viewers leave with a clear understanding of how serious and lasting the effect of deed theft are.
