Bio

Tris Sheen is a Western Australian ocean-based artist, award-winning photographer and storyteller whose work is shaped by a lifelong connection with the natural world. Her relationship with the ocean began at an early age and deepened through years of sailing, exploring and raising her two children while living closely with the sea. In 1987, she experienced her first encounter with a southern right whale in the cold waters of Western Australia. That moment sparked a lifelong fascination with whales and a desire to understand and experience them in their natural environment. In 2008, Tris and her husband Dave purchased a whale-swimming business in Tonga, in the South Pacific. For almost two decades, she has spent three months each year in the water with humpback whales, observing and photographing them in their underwater world. Thousands of encounters have given her a rare sustained familiarity with individual whales and the opportunity to witness their varied behaviours, personalities and interactions. Her photography is grounded in patience, observation and natural encounters rather than staged moments. She seeks to capture not only the beauty of wildlife, but the feeling of being present within its world. Her work spans photography, painting, mixed media and found objects. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Arts, majoring in ceramics and sculpture with a minor in painting, and completed postgraduate studies in 1994. Her photographic book, Whale Being, brings together seven personal stories and a selection of images from her years swimming with humpback whales. Through her work, Tris hopes to encourage greater understanding, respect and connection with the living world.