Áine O'Hara

Day 261 Bedbound/I miss ye, 2025

Photograph | Unframed: 76 x 51 cm

‘Last October, following a severe allergic reaction, my body entered complete collapse. My symptoms escalated overnight. I couldn’t eat or drink. Light/sounds/smells, miniscule attempts at communication were dangerous and caused tachycardia, allergic reactions, severe pain, nausea, vertigo, migraines, to name only the worst. I needed to lie in complete silence/darkness. I now remain largely housebound. 

This is a photo of my 261st day in bed.

It was created with the support of my assistant/carer Briley Mullen.’ - Áine O’Hara.

Áine O’Hara describes themselves as ‘an artist, organiser and maker’. They avoid working in a single medium, but always focuses on community building, conversation and care, whether in the form of photography, a billboard, performance, social spaces, or publications. O’Hara’s work is deeply informed by the queer and crip* theory of disability justice academics and practitioners as well as their lived experience as a multiply disabled, chronically sick queer person. They seek to create spaces for joy, dark humour and play for sick/disabled artists/audiences, as well as anyone who has been traditionally left out of the art world.

Go back to shortlisted works