(b. 1972)

Petrina Hicks is a Sydney-based contemporary Australian artist best known for her highly polished photographic works that merge the aesthetic of commercial advertising with layered symbolic and allegorical meaning. Hicks’ background in commercial photography shines through in her highly polished style of studio photography, often in the form of still lifes and portraiture. Within this controlled and sterile setting of a studio, Hicks creates a juxtaposition with the inclusion of birds and snakes, fresh fruit, or a lit match. 

Creating visual comparisons with ancient mythology and art historical paintings, Hicks’ highly contemporary work explores the female experience, and the sentience of animals. In the minimalist compositions, the ambiguity of its meaning is suspended in the stillness and softness, a surreal dream-like scene created in the high light exposure and pastel colour palette that is eminent to Hicks’ artistic practice. 

Petrina Hicks has cemented her place in the world of fine art photography, holding major exhibitions at The National Gallery of Victoria in 2019-2020, and the Museum of Australian Photography in 2024-2025. 

To find out more about the artist's work, click here.