Nudes nominee

In this work, I photograph the modern woman as Venus, Mars, Poseidon—heroic figures reborn in the image of classical sculpture. And yet, the women in my images are looking elsewhere. They refuse to be simply these classical archetypes—the muse, the seductress, the mother, the heroine, the priestess. They bend these roles to meet their own needs and desires. These archetypes are the negatives from which the full picture of their lives are developed.

Trina O’Hara is a highly-trained, lifelong painter and photographer from Australia, based in Perugia, Italy. She is trained in Old Master techniques and has a strong academic foundation in Fine Arts, figure drawing, and classical methods.

She refined her skills through short courses at the Angel Art Academy, The Florence Studio, The Charles H. Cecil Studio in Florence, and the Flemish Classical Atelier in Bruges. Over seven years, she meticulously visited and copied every known Caravaggio painting (in paint), internalising his dramatic use of light and shadow.

Trina attended the Gifted and Talented Visual Arts Program at Kalamunda S.H. School and earned a BA with Honours in Fine Art from Edith Cowan University, followed by a scholarship residency with Australian artist Arthur Boyd. She also completed a Graduate Diploma in Education at Murdoch University, courses at Central Saint Martins, and a Master’s in Contemporary Art from Sotheby’s Institute.

She recently published her first photography book, Body of Work: artist. camera. museum, with Snap Collective. In 2025, she was awarded the People’s Choice, a Gold Award for Still Life and 3rd Place Overall at the 1839 Awards Colour Photography Contest.