Gonketa
Gonketa (Jaycob Campbell) is a Deaf visual artist, muralist and illustrator based in Naarm / Melbourne.
Gonketa’s work incorporates imagery of hands, movement and bold colour, working across street murals, canvas and digital formats at both small and large scale.
His practice engages with Deaf identity and visual communication, drawing on the forms and gestures of sign language. Developed through his experience of both Deaf and mainstream education, his work responds to the lack of representation for Deaf communities and seeks to create greater visibility through public art.
Gonketa’s practice spans large-scale public murals, commissioned artworks, exhibitions and workshops with schools and community groups. He works with councils, galleries, festivals and private clients across Australia.
His work has been presented across public art projects, street art programs and gallery exhibitions nationally, including murals in urban and community spaces and exhibitions.
Gonketa studied at the University of Melbourne.
In this interview, Gonketa discusses accessibility as an ongoing issue in both his practice and daily life, and the importance of more inclusive approaches to communication. He also shares the importance of consistently making and sharing work, and the focus and satisfaction he finds in painting large-scale murals.
Video production by Atypical 2025.
Image: Gonketa (Jaycob Campbell), photo by Dylan Hill, 2026.
ID: Photo of Gonketa standing in his studio surrounded by colourful paintings of hands and bold abstract forms, a table on the lower left of frame is full of paint supplies.
About NAVA
The National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA) is a Membership organisation that brings together the many voices of the contemporary arts sector to improve fundamental conditions of work and practice. We do this through advocacy, education and the Code of Practice.
