Bobby Stills (Lipan Apache)
Arizona State Museum
A lover of action figures, he would find it difficult to add pieces to his collection that he felt represented himself. In response, Bobby began to create his own figures. Utilizing vintage figure heads and kitbashing (a hobby wherein creators customize their own action figures, or models from raw materials and existing parts), Bobby would customize every detail of his homebrewed collectibles, giving his creations vibrant life.
His figures are cut from a different cloth. Rather than dress them in traditional regalia, Bobby styles them by creating and customizing modern apparel influenced by LA streetwear. This aspect of his art highlights his more than a decade living in Los Angeles, and depicts Native people in modern daily life, asserting the message, “We are still here.” These details are representative of his culture; both rooted in his Texas, Apache heritage, and LA lifestyle, and almost always with a signature cuffed pant leg and essential, exclusive sneakers.
He also served on the Oahu Intertribal Council. He has even made television appearances, featured on the Spike TV series Auction Hunters as nothing less than a certified Sneaker Expert. His knowledge of style as creative expression has granted him interviews for the LA Times and KROQ radio. Bobby’s lowrider bicycle is in the collection of the Autry Museum, and his action figures and the lowrider bicycle are highlighted in Arizona State Museum’s exhibit Traditions in Motion.
Bobby Stills’ social media: https://www.instagram.com/chldrn_of_the_sun/
Traditions in Motion at Tucson Comic-Con
A pop-up exhibit of the Arizona State Museum, University of Arizona
For many Indigenous communities, adopting and adapting car culture is a way of expressing heritage and contemporary experiences. Cars, skateboards, motorcycles, bicycles, and even shoes become canvases, often incorporating traditional symbols, colors, and patterns. This unique expression of self is a dynamic and evolving cultural landscape.
This exhibit includes photographs and artwork by Indigenous artists focusing on Indigenous lowriders and their cars, skateboards, motorcycles, and bicycles. Eleven die-cast model cars painted by Native artists will also be on display. ASM educators will also engage visitors with hands-on coloring activities related to the art. Joining Arizona State Museum at Comic-Con is one of the exhibit artists, Bobby Stills (Lipan Apache). Known for his contemporary Native action figures, he has also customized lowrider bikes (one is in the collection of the Autry Museum), and makes silver jewelry.
ASM website for Traditions in Motion online exhibit: https://statemuseum.arizona.edu/online-exhibit/traditions-in-motion
About Arizona State Museum
Arizona State Museum (ASM) is the oldest and largest anthropological research facility in the U.S. Southwest, with expansive collections that are exceptional resources for the teaching, study, and understanding of the region’s 13,000-year human history. ASM preserves, creates, and shares knowledge about the peoples and cultures of Arizona and surrounding regions. The museum’s exhibits and programs broaden perspectives about the region’s cultural heritage. Most exhibits are developed collaboratively with Indigenous culture bearers, artists, and scholars. Offerings include pop-up exhibits, online exhibits, and a variety of programs offered in-person, via Zoom, and on YouTube.
