HOBSON 2019.008.001-010

Based in Cape York, at the far north-eastern tip of Australia, Naomi Hobson confronts negative stereotypes of Indigenous people while honouring their unique stories and lives. Developed in collaboration with men from her Lockhart River and Coen communities, this series particularly addresses stereotypes of Australian Indigenous men by affirming their capacity for care and beauty. 

Christian missionaries had imposed restricted ideas of gender onto many Indigenous communities, resulting in a decline of the cultural adornment practised by Kaantju and Umpila men. By photographing her male subjects decorated with flowers, Hobson reinvigorates this tradition and highlights the nurturing compassion of Aboriginal men.