Christian Thompson b. 1978

Also known as Christian Bumbarra Thompson
  • Artist (Video Artist),
  • Artist (Performance Artist),
  • Artist (Photographer)
Christian Bumbarra Thompson is a photographer, video and performance artist who also works as a curator and writer.
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Christian Thompson was born in Gawler, South Australia, in 1978. He is a Bidjara man of the Kunja Nation from central western Queensland and is also of German-Jewish heritage. His mother’s family are from Gundagai in New South Wales. As an artist, Thompson spurns classification both in terms of style, medium, time, occupation, history and heritage. At the time of writing (2008) he was living in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Thompson graduated from RMIT in Melbourne with a Master of Fine Arts in 2004. In 2008 he was studying at, and involved in the DasArts Advanced Studies in Performing Arts programme in Amsterdam (The Netherlands). His art practice is multi-disciplinary, encompassing textile based sculpture, photography, installation, performance, video and sound.
Thompson’s art practice is distinctive within Australia’s art scene, as an Aboriginal artist raised in the 1980s his work absorbs the influences of that time. Elements of pop culture, dance, fashion, performance and mass media combine with the relationship between objects, space and history. His work engages the viewer and challenges our understanding of Australian identity and what it means to 'be’ Australian.
Thompson has exhibited nationally and internationally, he has participated in pivotal curated exhibitions such as 'Culture Warriors’ (2007) the inaugural National Indigenous Art Triennial held at the National Gallery of Australia, curated by Brenda L Croft; and also 'Half Light: Portraits from Black Australia’ (2008) an exhibition of key contemporary Indigenous artists working in photo-media, curated by Hetti Perkins at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

Thompson has work held in the permanent collections of the National Gallery of Australia, the National Gallery of Victoria, the Art Gallery of NSW and the Aboriginal Art Museum in Utrecht, Netherlands.

Writers:
Chant, Armando Note:
Date written:
2008
Last updated:
2009

Difference between this version and previous

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Other occupations
  • Curator- What's Love Got To Do With It?, RMIT Gallery, Melbourne 2001,High Tide - Contemporary Indigenous Photography, Linden Centre for Contemporary Art, Melbourne; If You Only Knew, City Gallery, Melbourne 2004 and White Hot - New Art from Different Places, Hush Hush Gallery and City Lights, Melbourne 2004. In 2000, Thompson acted as curatorial assistant for the Adelaide Biennale 'Beyond the Pale'.
  • Writer-Thompson has worked as a freelance writer since 2000 and has published the following The Entrapped Tigress, Operation Honesty - The Art of Gordon Hookey, Code Name Koorie, Fear and Desire - The Art of Fiona Foley and Journey Down the Road, What's So Special About Indigenous Projects, Hyacinth Orchid - The Art of rea, We Are Family, More Than A Performance and Minus the Special Effects in various arts publications.
  • Curator- What's Love Got To Do With It?, RMIT Gallery, Melbourne 2001,High Tide - Contemporary Indigenous Photography, Linden Centre for Contemporary Art, Melbourne; If You Only Knew, City Gallery, Melbourne 2004 and White Hot - New Art from Different Places, Hush Hush Gallery and City Lights, Melbourne 2004. In 2000, Thompson acted as curatorial assistant for the Adelaide Biennale 'Beyond the Pale'.
  • Writer-Thompson has worked as a freelance writer since 2000 and has published the following The Entrapped Tigress, Operation Honesty - The Art of Gordon Hookey, Code Name Koorie, Fear and Desire - The Art of Fiona Foley and Journey Down the Road, What's So Special About Indigenous Projects, Hyacinth Orchid - The Art of rea, We Are Family, More Than A Performance and Minus the Special Effects in various arts publications.
Copyright agents
  • Thompson, Christian
  • Thompson, Christian
Alternative names
  • Christian Bumbarra Thompson
  • Christian Bumbarra Thompson
Heritage countries
  • Central Western Queensland
  • Central Western Queensland
Related person groups
  • Chalk Horse (associate of)
Related works
  • Lost Together (creator of)
  • Australian Graffiti (creator of)
  • The Gates of Tambo (creator of)
  • Emotional Striptease (creator of)
  • Blaks Palace (creator of)
  • Lost Together (creator of)
  • Australian Graffiti (creator of)
  • The Gates of Tambo (creator of)
  • Emotional Striptease (creator of)
  • Blaks Palace (creator of)
Related collections
  • National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, VIC (collected in)
  • Aboriginal Art Museum, Utrecht, The Netherlands (collected in)
  • National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, ACT (collected in)
  • Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW (collected in)
  • National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, VIC (collected in)
  • Aboriginal Art Museum, Utrecht, The Netherlands (collected in)
  • National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, ACT (collected in)
  • Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW (collected in)
Related recognitions
  • Western Australian Indigenous Art Awards (received)
  • Western Australian Indigenous Art Awards (received)
Related events
  • Half Light: Portraits From Black Australia (exhibited at)
  • Culture Warriors: National Indigenous Art Triennial (exhibited at)
  • Tactility: two centuries of Indigenous objects, textiles and fibre (None)
  • Half Light: Portraits From Black Australia (exhibited at)
  • Culture Warriors: National Indigenous Art Triennial (exhibited at)
  • Tactility: two centuries of Indigenous objects, textiles and fibre (None)
Field Changes
Biography
Contributors
  • 2054
Indigenous notes