A new exhibition honouring the life, legacy and art of Leigh Bowery has opened at St Albans Bowery theatre, a suburb away from where the iconic artist grew up.
Life for the Bowery family in Melbourne’s west “was full of lots of contradictions,” according to Bowery’s younger sister, Bronwyn Bowery.
Their mother encouraged creativity in the household but became worried about what neighbours would think when Bowery wore his creations on the street.
“Growing up in Sunshine we had a very strong community of people who were extended family as well as neighbours. Every single person knew us…we knew every single person,” said Bronwyn.
“It was a little bit surreal…strange in that sense.”
But that didn’t stop Bowery from leaving the house in his daring designs.
“He’d wear these pointy shoes… he had huge feet and [the shoes] were completely destroying them. He was like, ‘doesn’t matter…in the name of fashion,’” Bronwyn said.
The siblings were taught by their mother and grandmother to knit, sew and crochet from a young age.
“Leigh continued to be fascinated by design. He would draw all the time, outfits and different things. And then he started to wear them,” said Bronwyn.
At 19, Leigh moved to London to establish himself as an artist.
“Mum was quite emotional about him going. It was a pretty big thing for all of us that he left,” said Bronwyn.
“He didn’t tell them how challenging his life was at the start. He didn’t tell them about a lot of things.”
During his years abroad, Bowery built his reputation as an outrageous performer, club personality, model and fashion designer, and cemented himself as a prominent figure in London’s underground club scene throughout the post-punk period.
Bronwyn said their parents didn’t realise the impact Bowery had made until he came back to Australia
“He had a show at the Melbourne Town Hall and my parents thought ‘oh my god my son has made it,’” she said.
Bronwyn lent books and images of Bowery to Brimbank council for the exhibition, ‘Celebrating Leigh Bowery,’ an ongoing event at St Albans community centre.
