Kayapa
art, stories and collaboration brought us here
Our story began in Caracas, where Gabby worked across advertising, graphic design and photography, while Miguel worked in architecture, illustration and visual art. Surrounded by artist collectives, exhibitions and festivals, we learned to create, share and collaborate—an approach that continues to shape Kayapa today.
Our journey eventually brought us from Caracas to Sydney’s Northern Beaches. In 2013, we founded Kayapa as a shared creative practice where our different ways of seeing could come together through photography, illustration and branding.
The name Kayapa comes from cayapa, a Venezuelan word that describes collaboration in its most practical form: people bringing their skills, energy and ideas together to achieve a shared goal. It represents one of our core values and continues to guide the way we work.
Over the years, Kayapa has connected us with artists, families, organisations and communities. Our involvement with La Crème Creative Inc. and Brookvale Arts District has deepened our connection to the place we now call home.
What keeps us doing this is simple: turning people’s stories and ideas into images that feel honest, purposeful and truly their own.
Gabby Villalba
photography & art direction
Gabby leads Kayapa’s photography practice, with a focus on documentary portraiture, studio visits and behind-the-scenes stories. Before moving into photography, she spent nearly 20 years working as an art director in Caracas, an experience that shaped her attention to composition, narrative and the relationship between people and images. Her approach is observational, warm and non-intrusive, allowing people to remain themselves in front of the camera. Alongside her digital work, Gabby explores cyanotype and other alternative photographic processes.
Miguel Gonzalez
illustration & visual direction
Miguel, also known as M-Lon, leads Kayapa’s illustration and visual direction. Trained in architecture, he brings more than 17 years of experience across visual art, illustration, design and exhibition-making. His work moves from early concepts and character development to identities, publications and larger visual narratives. Having curated exhibitions in Caracas, Miami and Sydney, Miguel approaches each project with a strong sense of structure, context and purpose. He is most interested in the point where an idea becomes a shared visual language.
