Indigenous mother's photographs capture her fear that son risks being racially vilified as a black man
Milly Hooper had a gut feeling there was a difficult story she had to tell on her son's behalf. (Supplied: Milly Hooper Courtesy of Head On Photo Festival)
Photographer Milly Hooper loves to capture her Indigenous culture and community from behind the lens.
Since starting her career eight years ago, the proud Ngiyampaa, Murrawarri, Kooma woman has aimed for her art to focus on celebrating Indigenous families and the joyous moments of their lives.
But recently, Ms Hooper had a gut feeling there was another story she had to tell. Even if it was emotionally difficult for her.
Milly Hooper describes the "existential" fear of her son entering adulthood. (Supplied: Darby Young)
Ms Hooper lives in Newcastle with her partner and their four children.
Her eldest child, son Djarrin Stuart, turned 18 late last year.
For many parents, the fear of sending your child out into the big wide world is palpable. But for Ms Hooper, and fellow Indigenous parents, that anxiety is "existential".
"My fears as a mother of a young black man coming into society is that some view his skin colour as a weapon," she said.
"The statistics here in Australia give you the reality that we're always going to be behind the eight ball in the system.
"Sometimes, regardless of how good you are as a person, you can be perceived completely differently simply because of the colour of your skin. All I want is the best for Djarrin."
The concern surrounding black deaths in custody also weighs on Ms Hooper's mind heavily.
"We'd experience fear as mums, whether Aboriginal or not, if one our children went into custody. But my fear as a black mum isn't whether my son will be OK, but whether he will come home alive."
Ms Hooper views photography as a tool to capture the stories of her people. (Supplied: Milly Hooper Courtesy of Head On Photo Festival)
This month, Ms Hooper is showcasing this tangible fear via her photography.
She decided to capture photos of her son, accompanied with each of her worries which are handwritten under the images on display.
"I wanted him to embrace his adulthood with confidence and joy, yet I couldn't shake the concern that his identity might affect how he's perceived and treated," she said.
Mr Stuart was happy to be a part of his mother's project too, with the upcoming exhibition at Head On Photo Festival in Sydney.
"He's been one of my biggest supporters," Ms Hooper said.
Djarrin Stuart is now an adult, but the fear Ms Hooper has as a parent has grown tenfold, she said. (Supplied)
For Ms Hooper, she has always prioritised taking countless photographs of her kids throughout their different life stages, for a particularly poignant reason.
"Growing up I only had three photographs of my mum and I," she said.
Her son Djarrin Stuart was happy to be a part of the exhibition, which aims to challenge stereotypes about mob. (Supplied: Milly Hooper Courtesy of Head On Photo Festival)
Her parents split when she was two years old, and for many years Ms Hooper didn't live with her mother.
"I met her again when I was in foster care at 14. So now with my own children, it's so important to have heaps of photos that they can look back at," she said.
"I'm sure they get sick of it now, but I do it just so they don't have that same journey of not having any memories like I did."
Ms Hooper is overcome with emotions ahead of her photography works being shown. (Supplied: Edward Cross Photography)
As long as Ms Hooper is capturing country and championing Indigenous stories for years to come, she will be very content, she noted.
"It's my happy place. When I'm behind the camera, I'm always smiling."
With a camera in hand, she's a visual storyteller — someone who hopes to make the world a safer place for Indigenous youth, like her son.
"Through all this, my hope is to equip my son with the wisdom to navigate a world that doesn't always see him as equal, while also encouraging him to strive for his dreams and live his life fully."