NAIDOC Poster Announced!

Bobbi Lockyer wins prestigious National NAIDOC Week Poster Competition
The National NAIDOC Committee is proud to announce that the winner of the 2023
National NAIDOC Week Poster Competition is Bobbi Lockyer, a Ngarluma, Kariyarra,
Nyulnyul and Yawuru artist, born and based on Kariyarra Country in Port Hedland.

The National NAIDOC Week Poster competition is an iconic feature of National NAIDOC
Week and has a rich and significant history beginning in the 1960s when the National
Aboriginal and Islander Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) first began producing
posters. NAIDOC posters have been exhibited by various Australian cultural institutions
such as the National Museum of Australia, and reflect not only the many significant social
changes that have occurred since the 1960s but also evolution of art over the last 60
years.

The National NAIDOC Committee Co-Chairs, Dr Lynette Riley and Steven Satour, said that
Ms Lockyer’s artwork, For Our Elders, powerfully captured the spirit of this year’s NAIDOC
Week theme ‘For Our Elders’.

“Our Elders are an integral part of our communities, the keepers of our wisdom, and
important bridges between the modern world and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
cultures. There has never been a more pressing time to sit down and listen to our Elders”
said Mr Satour.

The Co-Chairs, on behalf of the National NAIDOC Committee, also thanked the many
talented artists who submitted their artwork. “Each year, judging and selecting the artwork
is one of the toughest jobs of the National NAIDOC Committee as there is so much talent
amongst all our communities.” said Dr Lynette Riley.

Ms Lockyer’s art is not defined by conventional means, instead she provides an insight into
her creative heart and soul through an array of different mediums, including Aboriginal
art, fine art paintings, photography, illustration and digital design.

“As an artist I find art healing. When I sit down with a canvas and some paints I’m able to
connect with my ancestors and my culture and feel a sense of self-healing and there’s
just something so calming about creating. When I create, it’s like a whole other world” said
Ms Lockyer.

Ms Lockyer’s artwork, For Our Elders, is a heart-warming piece that pays tribute to our
Elders. “Our Elders are the foundation of our communities and role models for our children.
With this poster I wanted to showcase how important our Elders are in passing down
traditions and culture to our children and future” said Ms Lockyer.

Ms Lockyer will receive a $10,000 cash prize and attend the 2023 National NAIDOC Awards
Ceremony in Meanjin/Brisbane on Saturday 1 July 2023 as a guest of the National NAIDOC
Committee.

Visit the NAIDOC website to learn more about this year’s artwork and winning artist, to find
out how you can get your copy of the 2023 National NAIDOC Week Poster and to download
a range of free-to-use social media tiles.