A teacher once told Bobbi Lockyer she’d never make a career out of her art.

Lockyer, a Ngarluma, Kariyarra, Nyul Nyul and Yawuru woman and mum of four from remote Western Australia, was picked as the official First Nations artist for the 2025 tournament.

She told 9news.com.au her artwork was inspired by her home in WA’s Pilbara region.

“I flew over to Melbourne from WA and I was just looking out the window and it was this most beautiful, incredible sunset, pinks and oranges,” she said.

“It really reminded me of back home in the Pilbara. So that was the first thing I started painting.”

Lockyer’s vibrant artwork will be seen on the steps of Margaret Court Arena next year and will appear on limited-edition Australian Open merch.

Her art celebrates Australian flora with Australian gum leaves, gum blossoms and wattle featured prominently.

More than 1.1 million people attended the grand slam in 2024 alone, so it’s safe to say Lockyer’s brush strokes will be adored by millions both in-person and watching from home.

It’s a remarkable achievement for someone who once believed art was simply a hobby.

“In school I guess I had my head in the clouds all the time and I was always told that art could never be a career… that I needed to choose a real job,” she said.

“But I didn’t want a ‘real job’. All I wanted to do was create.”

Lockyer works with a lot of bright colours and her pieces always pay homage to her Indigenous culture.

Her talent with art, design and photography has brought her work to runways in Paris and New York and the pages of Vogue.

She’s also worked with major Australian brands including Telstra and Woolworths.

“A lot of people tell me instantly they know when it’s a Bobbi Lockyer piece,” she said.

“I paint what makes me happy.”