From December 15, Benalla Art Gallery will present Moving Forward, the work of street artist Gonketa.
Born profoundly deaf, Gonketa, aka Jaycob Campbell, said people often ask what language he thinks in.
“(That is what) I want to bring it to life and show it to everyone,” he said.
“A student once asked me, ‘What can you hear? Like I can hear English inside my head?’
“I responded that I can’t hear. All I can see are visual communications.
“I imagine how we communicate through body expressions, whether it’s with hands or without them.
“It’s all visual. Even now, I can see it.”
Moving Forward is about breaking barriers and preconceptions, prompting viewers to think deeply about how they think.
The exhibition is a fully immersive experience straight from the artist’s mind.
It’s a look into his innermost thoughts and perceptions of the world in terms of language, expression, gesture and feeling.
Using painting, three-dimensional augmentation, interactive projections, and digital renders, the exhibition is a journey for viewers to immerse themselves in new ways of seeing, thinking and comprehending.
For Gonketa, this is a chance to express himself in new ways, sharing his unique insights and reflections on deaf culture and making it accessible to all.
A spokesperson for Just Another Agency said working with Gonketa had been an eye-opening journey in more ways than one.
“There are so many nuances to the ways we are accustomed to communicating, which most people take for granted,” the spokesperson said.
“This experience has really taught us to focus on not just what we are trying to express, but how.”
Benalla Art Gallery director Eric Nash said the exhibition was a perfect way to conclude the gallery’s 2023 program.
“It’s a privilege for the gallery to have worked with Just Another Agency and lean on their expertise and passion, to realise our first street art exhibition since 2020 and to bring Gonketa’s incredible vision to life,” Mr Nash said.
“This is an incredibly important exhibition, but also a joyous one — a riot of heavy linework, vivid colour and exaggerated expressions, all of which are fundamental to non-verbal communication.”
Gonketa: Moving Forward launches at 6pm on Friday, December 15, and continues until January 21, 2024.
There will be an opening night celebration from 6pm on Friday, December 15. Numbers are strictly limited. To secure your place contact gallery@benalla.vic.gov.au/
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