There's so many ways to describe Bobbi Lockyer, that the safest bet is to say she's 'a creative'.
In recent months the Ngarluma, Kariyarra, Nyulnyul and Yawuru woman and mother of four has graced the cover of a popular Australian women’s magazine and been featured on Instagram’s official account.
Last year in a career highlight, she was named the NAIDOC Artist of the Year. Currently, Lockyer is working towards another career milestone, which will see her fashion designs on the runway as part of New York Fashion Week.
Ngarluma, Kariyarra, Nyulnyul and Yawuru artist Bobbi Lockyer. Source: Supplied
Destined to design
The Port Hedland-born and raised artist works across photography, painting, digital design and fashion.
Last year some of Lockyer’s designs were showcased at New York Fashion Week as part of a collaboration which saw her artwork feature on recycled jackets. But this year her own clothing designs from her label Gantharri will be modelled on the catwalk.
When she flies to New York in September, it will be the first time she’s been overseas.
Lockyer said it probably won’t sink in until her plane lands in the United States of America.
“It's just crazy like to be part of a huge fashion platform like never in my wildest dreams would have thought that I'd be doing this,” she said.
As well as teaching her about her culture when she was growing up, Lockyer’s mother introduced her to painting and sewing.
The 35-year-old admits she was definitely discouraged by some people at times about her wanting to be an artist.
“Countless teachers would tell me 'that's not a real job, you need to choose a real career, nobody makes money in art.'
“I was constantly told 'You need to go to university, you need to pick something and do that.' But yeah, I wasn't swayed, I kept saying 'I just want to do art'...
"It wasn't until a teacher sort of introduced me to graphic design on the computer, digital art, that I was like, oh, wow, these people are wrong, there actually are careers in this.”
She always loved the idea of being a fashion designer. However when she finally got the opportunity to attend some classes, she says it wasn't a good fit, feeling uncomfortable in the environment.
But Lockyer’s art eventually brought her back into fashion design.
See it to be it
Lockyer was excited when Peppermint magazine reached out to her and asked her to photograph a front cover for their magazine, describing the whole thing as “a bit crazy.”
“I thought that’s so cool, I get to plan a cover and I asked like who would you like on there and they were like, no, we're actually hoping that you will be the model,” she said.
Lockyer said she wasn’t initially into the idea of being the one to be on the cover.
“But the more I thought about it, the more I thought well, actually, you know, I'm so huge on representation and I always say I never thought anyone like me will be on a cover, so what better way to actually put me on the cover,” she said.
The front cover she designed, photographed and modelled featured Lockyer’s face surrounded by a bed of native flowers.
She incorporated her love of native florals as one of the elements of a recent workshop she ran for Indigenous teenage girls who attend a boarding school more than 18 hours drive from Port Hedland, in Esperance.
Image taken as part of an art and photography workshop held in Esperance with teenage girls. Source: Bobbi Lockyer
The weeklong workshop was all about sharing her art and photography skills and culminated in a photo shoot of the girls wearing wildflower crowns inspired by the red headbands of her Ngarluma that feature wattle.
“I love teaching people and giving them like my skills and knowledge and seeing their like their faces light up when they finally get it,” Lockyer said.
She said by the end, the girls had a sense of empowerment and some, those who had had a difficult year so far, found the processes involved in creating art, to be healing.
Lockyer is also a Nikon Creator, a title that provides her with some support and sponsorship in her photography but she said it worked as a two-way relationship.
“I've really worked hard to make sure that there is representation for other Indigenous photographers, you know, being part of that black lens, I’ve said it'd be good to feature other Indigenous photographers. I've given them other names and I just feel like it's been a two way relationship with Nikon, which has been really good.”
Image taken as part of an art and photography workshop held in Esperance with teenage girls. Source: Bobbi Lockyer
Inspired by Country
While her work will see her travel overseas later this year, the Country in and around Port Hedland will always remain her inspiration.
“A lot of people will just see it as a mining town and red dust but it goes a lot deeper than that, for me, it's a connection here,” she said.
“Port Hedland is home and it's the ocean, I grew up basically on the beach with the reef, the tide goes right out, people walk out onto the reef and you see all the coral and starfish and everything.”
She said the coastal area has some of the most beautiful sea shells, which inspire a lot of her work.
“It’s like this beautiful beach town by the red dirt and bush with a wildflower season which is crazy colourful, it’s just beautiful.”
