A Decade-Long Journey on Two Wheels
For the past ten years, photographer Lucia Braham has been meticulously documenting the lives of women within motorcycle culture across Australia and the United States. Her powerful collection, titled Petrolette, offers an intimate look into a community built on friendship, empowerment, and a shared passion for riding. The work is now on public display as part of the 2025 Head On photo festival's Open Program.
The Exhibition: Where and When
The exhibition is currently open to the public and will run until 30 November 2025. It is hosted at the Enmore Hotel in Enmore, providing a vibrant and accessible venue for this celebration of female motorcyclists.
Capturing Community and Camaraderie
Braham's project began organically. Her first experience with motorcycles was a thrilling ride down McCarrs Creek Road in Sydney at the age of 21, an event that left her instantly hooked. The photographic series truly found its purpose after she attended the Dream Roll, a female-only motorcycle campout in Washington State, USA, in 2016. "I took a risk and attended the first one the year before, not knowing a single person. I left that year with lifelong friendships," Braham recalls. This sense of community inspired her to seek out similar groups back in Australia.
Her photographs vividly capture events like Sheila's Shakedown, an annual motorcycle festival in Victoria that began in 2017. This event has become a crucial space for friendship, empowerment, and support for femmes and gender non-conforming people. One image features Jaz with her sons, Dusty and Jim, at the 2020 festival, embodying Braham's ethos of "community over competition."
The collection also highlights the raw and adventurous spirit of the riders. A striking 2018 photograph shows Rebecca "roosting" the photographer on a dirt track outside Geelong—a racing technique where flying debris from the rear tyre hits the rider behind. Another portrait features Riley Tyler, a founder of Sheila's Shakedown, whom Braham describes as the epitome of the community's welcoming and supportive nature.
From Personal Project to Public Archive
What started as a personal endeavour to give her riding friends "a photographic souvenir" has grown into a significant archival project. Braham admits she never initially intended to exhibit the work. Groups like The Throttle Moles from Mildura and The Womb Tang Clan, who raised money for endometriosis charity EndoActive, are now part of a documented history that showcases the diversity and depth of women's involvement in motorcycling.
Reflecting on the project, Braham states, "The fact that I have been harbouring a decade-long chronicle of women in motorcycle culture won't come as a surprise to many. My involvement in this sacred community is something I truly cherish." The Petrolette exhibition stands as a testament to a decade of shared adventures, unwavering support, and the powerful bonds forged on the open road.
