Mark Trinham
Environmental Art and Design Australia
Mark Trinham has spent 30 years building a full-time art practice focused on connecting communities to country and environmental understanding. His work spans the complete range of nature-based art: graphic design and illustration, sculpture and painting, music, and massive public art projects requiring sophisticated production and project management capabilities.
Mark's approach combines artistic vision with collaborative process. He partners with engineers, architects, landscape architects, and traditional owner Aboriginal corporations to create public art that integrates into landscape and speaks to audiences about living with nature. His projects frequently include educational components addressing water quality, habitat restoration, waste management, and indigenous flora and fauna awareness.
Notable works include designing the Waste Wise Education Centre for Barwon Regional Waste Management Group and creating the SCIPN Wildlife Card Collection—135 A3-sized realistic paintings of local wildlife, researched and illustrated in collaboration with regional environmental groups and fauna experts. His land art projects include an 80-meter work created with colored gravels on a mesa near Betoota, visible on Google Maps, developed under guidance of traditional owners.
Mark's most sustained collaboration is with Glenn Romanis, spanning over 25 years and formalized as Romanis Trinham Collaborations P/L. This partnership enables large-scale public sculptures—works six to seven meters high using reclaimed timber from Port Phillip Bay pier pylons and custom metalwork.
Beyond visual art, Mark maintains active musical practice with Moonah (five albums over 30 years), Lucy and the Night Sky, and several other collaborations. He co-founded the Nightjar Independent Artists Festival, coordinated Torquay Cowrie Market for 25 years, and continues partnering with grassroots and corporate groups using art to shift attitudes and social behavior.
Mark works from Ashmore Arts near Torquay and maintains property in Northern NSW rainforest. His philosophy: "If you understand nature and the environment, you learn to love it. If you love your environment, protecting it comes naturally."
