Emmet COOPER-FLYNN The housewife 2025 from the series A caged bird sings pigment ink-jet print framed 29.7 x 42.0 cm collection of the artist courtesy of the artist
This artwork was the winner of our annual TOPshots competition and exhibition held in the MAPh Atrium Gallery, 11 March – 4 May 2026.
TOPshots is an annual celebration of emerging photo-media artists selected from a large pool of entries. 2026 marks the 18th anniversary of this award and exhibition, which showcases exceptional photographic work produced by students who have completed the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) subjects of Art Making and Exhibiting, Art Creative Practice and Media, as well as the International Baccalaureate (IB) subject of Visual Arts and the Vocational Education and Training (VET) subject of Visual Arts.
Artist statement
A Caged Bird Sings explores the quiet ache of yearning. A deep, unspoken longing for something more. Each staged photograph captures a person suspended between who they are and what they desire, reaching inward toward connection, freedom, or fulfilment. Through cinematic lighting, composition, and detail, yearning is shown as subtle yet relentless. Light draws attention to what calls them forward; shadows hold them still. The series invites viewers to see their own longings and feel both haunted and deeply seen.
