Painting in Silence: Deaf Artist Angie Goto

Angie Goto's vibrant art and gestural performances are reshaping how we experience visual storytelling in Australia.

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Born deaf, Australian artist Angie Goto was instinctively drawn to visual expression from an early age. As it turned out, she had quite a talent and has managed to carve out a career as a popular and respected artist. 

“I discovered painting and drawing when I was a young child. I’m Deaf, and back then there were no captions on TV, and I couldn't hear music. So, besides reading books, painting was my way of entertaining myself and expressing my feelings. I am a very visual person,” Goto tells Neighbourhood Media. 

Goto’s paintings are bold, bright, and colourful, evoking uplifting emotions. They focus mainly on the human condition and her own perspective on people and nature. She is inspired by artists such as Ken Done and Basquiat, among many others. 

Angie Goto educating the next generation

As well as painting, Goto works as an artist educator at MCA, AGNSW and the Powerhouse Museum. 

As a result of their special presentation in last year’s Biennale Sydney, Goto and fellow Deaf artist, Sue Wright, have been invited by various galleries to repeat the work. 

“I was honoured to take part in the Biennale Sydney by doing gestural performances alongside the artworks. It was a special performance because, instead of talking about the artworks, Sue and I used gestures to describe them,” Goto explains. “Participants wore earplugs to experience silence and could join us with their own gestures if they wanted. This performance led to opportunities to perform at the Art Gallery of New South Wales when they opened their new building, Naala Badu, as well as at Camperdown Arts Centre and Hazelhurst Gallery. Sue and I are also excited to have the chance to participate in the next Biennale.”

Angie Goto & Marrickville

Goto has been a proud Inner West local for over 20 years and really appreciates the creative vibe of the area. 

“I love it! There are many great places, especially artist studios and galleries,” she says. She particularly likes the Red Rattler Theatre for their diverse and “awesome” programming. “I was an artist in residence there and had a show called Vital Signs, which was a full Deaf event—something rare to have. Red Rattler is very supportive of queer people and those with disabilities. It feels like a family community where nobody feels different.”

With a packed schedule of working and painting, Goto says she doesn’t go out often, but when she does, she heads to Newtown. 

“Newtown is my favourite place to spend time. It has many great vintage shops and restaurants. Australia Street has some nice small restaurants, especially Continental Deli Bar. I have good memories of hanging out there with my daughter, Midori.”

Exciting things have been happening for Goto recently, and it seems there’s a lot more to come.

“This past year and this year have been very important for me. Vivienne Linsley and Ross Symington made a documentary about myself and my work as a Deaf artist/ advocate called Seeing Silence, which was shown at Red Rattler Theatre. I'm now living in a Creative Live Work Space provided by the City of Sydney. This helps me focus on my art projects without worrying about the high cost of living in Sydney. I'm also getting ready for my upcoming show at 19 Karen Gallery in Queensland, which opens on August 9th.”

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