Trina Merry | New York City Bodypaint Artist

Transforming people into works of art

Trina Merry paints on the human body, creating the illusion that our reality is a two-dimensional space. She is a multi-media artist utilizing the ancient medium bodypaint in a contemporary manner with her photography, performance, installation, video, and digital art.

Trina Merry's artwork defies conventional boundaries as she merges the human form seamlessly with landscapes, architecture, and cultural symbols, exploring themes of identity, unity, and activism. Through meticulous attention to detail and expert use of light and shadow, her body painting and photography create a visual tapestry that challenges societal norms and prompts viewers to reflect on their authentic selves and their relationship with the environment. By blending art and activism, Trina Merry's transformative creations inspire us to embrace diversity, question societal expectations, and confront pressing social and environmental issues.

“We are captivated by this artist who works with 'invisible models'. Artist Trina Merry masterfully uses paint to turn her models into amazing human chameleons. Merry's artwork is so detailed you'll forget there is even a person in her photos at all... they look effortless.”

- Business Insider


Meet Trina Merry

In 2006, after being struck by lightning, Trina Merry had an idea for an art project: what would it look like if she blended people into the street art murals she and her friends were painting in San Francisco? This question took her down a rabbit hole of performance and installation experiments with painting on people that led her to develop an optical illusion for turning three-dimensional bodies into what appeared to be two-dimensional paintings and photographs. When she moved to New York City she continued to paint on the street but was enthralled with the city’s architecture. Since then, it has led her to some very unexpected places.

Trina’s artwork has been exhibited at the Whitney Museum of America Art, Miami Art Basel, Brooklyn Museum of Art, and Toronto Film Festival. She’s painted at the Seven Wonders of the World and continues to grow her camouflage series at amazing places around the world. Trina painted pop star Jason Mraz for an eco-conscious campaign with FORD. She has lectured at ESMoA, Museo Di Bardini, and the San Jose Museum of Art. She has been honored with the "Fine Art Bodypaint- World Champion", winning for the USA in 2014 at the World Bodypaint Festival, and has been Artist-in-Residence at the Watermill Center Summer Program and Il Palmerino.

Trina travels heavily but maintains two working studios in Dallas (Deep Ellum) and New York City (by the Flat Iron Building).


Jumpstart Your Experience Here…


It all started when NYC Bodypainter Trina Merry was struck by lightning in Hollywood, it altered the course of her life. Everything turned white and there was a loud buzzing sound as the lighting filled her car.  The most incredible aching sensation shot through her bones.  Suffering from continuous a painful ache in her bones whenever she was near power lines or any electrical wires, she escaped to the sheltering forest of Yosemite National Park hoping for reprieve. She spent a year painting by a little stream where she made friends with the local deer.

It was during this time that she had a few glasses of absinthe with Amanda Palmer (the Dresden Dolls, TED Talks). Palmer encouraged Trina to stand onstage and get body painted with the Dolls opening act- an Australian synesthesia art rock band called “The Red Paintings”. While wearing a silver mask that shot laser beams out into the audience, she experienced complete strangers painting her body with brightly colored space toys. Something sparked: Art had a heart beat. Art could be vulnerable. Art was… happening.    


Trina Merry, a visionary artist of our time, defies the boundaries of conventional artistry through her captivating and boundary-breaking creations. With each brushstroke, she unveils a world where the human form merges seamlessly with its surroundings, blurring the lines between reality and illusion. Through her remarkable body painting and photography, Trina Merry explores profound themes that resonate with the core of our existence.

At the heart of Trina Merry's artwork lies the exploration of identity and our connection to the environment that envelops us. She ingeniously weaves the human body into the fabric of landscapes, architecture, and cultural symbols, demonstrating the intrinsic bond between humanity and its surroundings. Her meticulous attention to detail and expert use of light and shadow make the human form appear both ethereal and rooted, existing simultaneously in multiple dimensions.

One of the recurring themes in Trina Merry's work is the celebration of diversity and the power of collective identity. By adorning her models with elements from different cultures and contexts, she emphasizes the richness and beauty that arises from the coexistence and interaction of various backgrounds and perspectives. Her art becomes a visual hymn to unity, inviting viewers to embrace the harmonious tapestry of humanity.

Through her art, Trina Merry also questions the notions of visibility and camouflage, challenging societal expectations and norms. By blending her subjects into their surroundings, she poses profound inquiries about the masks we wear and the roles we play in our daily lives. Is our true essence masked by societal constructs, or can we truly integrate with our environment and reveal our authentic selves? Such contemplations confront viewers and provoke a deeper exploration of self and societal expectations.

In Trina Merry's work, the human body becomes a canvas for storytelling, blending art and activism. She fearlessly tackles social and environmental issues, amplifying marginalized voices and shedding light on urgent matters. Her art becomes a powerful medium to confront the viewer's conscience, urging them to reflect upon the challenges we face collectively and our responsibility to effect positive change.

Trina Merry's artistic journey is a testament to the transformative power of imagination and the boundless possibilities that emerge when we challenge the confines of conventional art forms. Through her body painting and photography, she immerses us in a world where art transcends boundaries and beckons us to ponder the intricate relationship between the self and the world around us. With her profound exploration of identity, unity, and activism, Trina Merry's artwork leaves an indelible mark on our collective consciousness, inspiring us to embrace our individuality and forge a deeper connection with our environment.


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TRINA MERRY PORTFOLIO

“Brooklyn-based artist Trina Merry utilizes an unconventional medium for her work: the human body. Combining intricate body painting with real-time photography, Merry produces surrealist pieces that seamlessly blend her subjects with their backgrounds, creating riveting works that leave you wondering where the body starts and the building ends.”

-Refinery 29


TRINA MERRY X JASON MRAZ X FORD

TRINA MERRY X JASON MRAZ X FORD

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Jason Mraz was body painted by Trina Merry for Ford’s Go Green Campaign. The concept was inspired by Trina’s camouflage series.

“A campaign spotlighting Ford’s energy-efficient vehicles recruited singer-songwriter Jason Mraz, actress Felicia Day and health guru Rainbeau Mars. “Large companies like ours are much more comfortable being evolutionary rather than revolutionary,” says Toby Barlow, executive vice president and chief creative officer for Team Detroit, Ford’s ad agency. “We needed to reach a new audience—one that hadn’t connected with Ford, people who didn’t know we had a green and sustainable platform.”

-Entrepreneur

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BODYPAINT ART

“Even if you're not the artsy type, you'll be wowed by these awesome images. Trina Merry, a body painter, blended naked people seamlessly into their surroundings. We, quite frankly, can't evoke how amazing it is more than the pictures themselves. This is as immersive as artwork gets, and the results are seriously stunning. Merry uses skin-safe paints to create landscapes with the human body, applying the color with a brush or airbrush to blend her subjects in with their background.”

-Cosmopolitan

“Mess with Your Mind”

Refinery 29

 

“Masterpieces”

Buzzfeed

“Transformative”

Time Magazine

 

“Neo-Contemporary”

Hyperallergic

“Stunning”

Vice

 

“Innovative”

Bustle


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New York City’s streets are Trina Merry’s studio, and the naked body is her canvas. She creates remarkable images that seamlessly camouflage her mostly nude models into New York City’s skyline, blending them into the details of the Empire State Building, the Manhattan Bridge, Central Park and other famous landmarks. The art form, preserved in photographs, is the result of a meticulous process that relies on models who must hold their pose perfectly still for hours and of New York City’s relatively liberal laws that have no problem with a woman standing topless in the middle of a busy street.


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“These motorbikes look like pretty racey, but not because they go very fast - they're actually made up from multiple naked athletic models. The dirt bike, cruiser and sports bike are the creations of body paint artist Trina Merry whose amazing work blurs the lines of reality.”

-Huffington Post

 

Bodypaint Human Motorcycles

The quadruple viral “Human Motorcycles” brings together Trina Merry’s painting style with the brand International Motorcycle Shows and the agency I.D.E.A to tell an unforgettable wow-factor imagery story about the history of motorcycles and strength of women in American society. Trina spent up to 18 hours creating each body painted human sculpture for this ad campaign, “ridden” by motor cross celeb Erin Bates, and this campaign was honored with the Addy’s “Best in Show” award.


Contact 

Project Proposals, Press requests, General inquiries

trinamerry@gmail.com

Pricing for Limited Edition Prints, Commissioned Portraits

TikTok: @trinamerrybodypaint

Youtube: Trina Merry

Instagram: @trinamerryart

Facebook: @MerryBodypaintings

LinkedIn, Twitter, TikTok & Tumblr: @trinamerry