Mike O’Hara

Mike O’Hara is a multidisciplinary artist working in painting, sculpture, film, and machine-based installations. His work is an exploration of transformation—both personal and material—shaped by his lived experience and an evolving inquiry into the forces that shape human perception.

Born in Pittsburgh, PA, O’Hara spent his early years skateboarding and composing experimental music before attending Berklee College of Music. His creative pursuits took an unexpected turn when he became an infantry officer in the United States Marine Corps, serving for seven years in Guantanamo Bay, Australia, and the Mojave Desert. The surreal landscapes of the Morongo Basin, the sensory overload of military machinery, and the tension between discipline and chaos in combat training left a profound imprint on his artistic approach.

O’Hara’s work is, in part, a way of repurposing these experiences. The military instilled in him a respect for precision, order, and controlled force, yet it also immersed him in an environment where destruction was both method and purpose. His art serves as an act of reclamation—taking materials, symbols, and psychological imprints of violence and redirecting them into spaces of reflection and new understanding.

Since leaving the military in 2020, O’Hara has exhibited in solo and group shows in Joshua Tree, Atlanta, and New York. In 2024, he co-founded Stop Trying Studios, a collaborative initiative that seeks to push the boundaries of contemporary art through interdisciplinary projects. His work has been described as raw, methodical, unflinching yet introspective—holding space for contradiction, tension, and ultimately, transformation.

Through his practice, O’Hara works to reorient symbols of power, force, and control into something else entirely.

Inquiries

Please reach out to Mike at stoptryingstudios@gmail.com for all inquiries.