Creating artwork comes as second nature to Shabbi, who began working with clay in the 1970s and held her first pottery exhibition in 1981 out of an old converted railway carriage in her back yard. Larger, more successful exhibitions and commissions followed, with Boans, Black Swan Gallery, Hotel Lord Forrest and ANZ Bank among her long list of clients. Shabbi downed tools for personal reasons in the mid-90s but, after a long break, picked up where she left off in 2011, extending her creativity to include acrylic paintings on canvas.
She has entered various exhibitions since, successfully selling large pieces and winning the Bruce Rock Art Award in 2011 and the Fred Killick Art Award in 2015, and has drawn the attention of art aficionados the world over, with customers in London, Ireland, Singapore and America. Shabbi supports young artists by entering pieces in the Lawley Art Auction each year, with part proceeds going towards the school’s Specialist Visual and Performing Arts Program. She is also a regular exhibitor at Yallingup Galleries in WA’s South West and Black Stump Gallery in Broome, and has exhibited twice in the prestigious Hale Art Exhibition.
Shabbi’s inspiration comes from a love of colour, nature and the elements, which are reflected in both her ceramic pieces and paintings. You can find Shabbi on Facebook and Instagram under Art by Shabbi.