According to the Chinese Zodiac, 2024 is the year of the Dragon, so it was fitting Goulburn Options artist Kimberly Oakley recently held her ‘101 Dragons’ exhibition in Melbourne.
Kimberly, known as Kimmy by her friends and family, is a visual artist with a disability based in Seymour.
Her works featured colourful dragons with lots of movement and endless varieties of shapes and sizes.
“What inspired me to do this is my parents and this lady here,” she said, pointing to her art teacher, Mandy Gloede.
“I do it for enjoyment as well and not because of my disability.
“I do it for my animals as well because we have animals that we look after as pets.
“I want to tell the whole story like it to show people that animals and humans can get along and that we’re all important.”
Kimmy said she had been passionate about art from a young age, well before meeting her first art teacher, Bindi.
“Art’s been my whole inspiration ever since I was three,” she said.
“Of course, my parents and everyone in my whole family loved to get me going.
“It’s nice to have my family to help me on board as well.”
Kimmy said support from family, friends and teachers was invaluable.
“They send me stuff on Facebook saying, ‘Oh, can you do some more?’” she said.
“I feel really excited and exhilarated (when asked to make or share more artworks).”
101 Dragons was Kimmy’s first solo show and was held at the Schoolhouse Studios Gallery in Coburg from April 4 to 10.
The exhibition was organised by Loom Arts and Management, a disability-led not-for-profit organisation formed to increase representation, respect and access to opportunities for artists with disability.
Hannah Reekie from Loom Arts and Management said the agency had represented Kimmy for the past two years.
“It’s been really great to be able to work with artists with disability in a regional setting, as well as in Melbourne,” she said.
“We mostly work with Kimmy online, but me and my agency assistant come up to Seymour every few months and visit Kimmy.”
Kimmy’s dragons are a way for her to celebrate the “wild freedom” she finds in her disability and being neurodivergent.
Each dragon she creates has a unique name and personality.
Kimmy said her favourite dragon was ‘Galiga’.
“She’s like me,” Kimmy said.
“She’s lovely and isolated ... she likes doing a lot of stuff with hobbies.
“She has a lot of magical other friends, as well.”
One buyer purchased all of Kimmy’s 101 Dragons artwork on show.
“He (the buyer) was really excited by the dragons that Kimberly draws,” Ms Reekie said.
“Her vivid imaginations really catch them.”
When Kimmy found out, she was shocked.
“I fell off my seat!” Kimmy said.
“I was actually with my graphic artist getting everything ready for it (the exhibition).”
Besides art, Kimmy enjoys reading and gets through 120 books a month.
She also rescues wildlife with her parents from her home in Seymour.
In the future, she hopes to use her artwork to raise awareness about animal welfare and to save Australia’s endangered animals.