Selected works
Dr Christian Thompson is one of Australia’s pre-eminent contemporary artists. He currently lives and works between London and Melbourne (Collingwood). In much of Thompson’s work he engages with the process of auto-ethnography, merging a nuanced dream world, his autobiography and research; constructing images that connect his experience to wider social, political, cultural meanings and understandings.
A descendant of the Bidjara people of Western Queensland, Thompson is also of English, Irish, Scandinavian and Jewish heritage. Reflecting on personal, private and public archives, Thompson harnesses his focus on anti-portraiture and its ability to trouble the relationship between past and present.
His works hold powerful actions/gestures, drawing relationships between objects, body and history working in a myriad of mediums such as photography, sculpture, video and sound.
Thompson made history when he was awarded the inaugural Charles Perkins Scholarship, becoming one of the first Australian Aboriginal people to be admitted to the University of Oxford its 900 year history. He holds a Doctorate of Philosophy (Fine Art), Trinity College, University of Oxford, United Kingdom; Master of Theatre, Amsterdam School of Arts, Das Arts, The Netherlands; Masters of Fine Art (Sculpture) as well as Honours (Sculpture), RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia; and a Bachelor of Fine Art from the University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Australia. In 2015 pioneering performance artist Marina Abramovic mentored him. He has exhibited extensively in Australia and abroad and his works are held in major national and international collections.
Christian Thompson is represented by Sarah Scout Presents, Melbourne and Michael Reid, Sydney and Berlin.
Christian Thompson: Selected works was presented as part of Locale 2017, Yarra City Council’s Exhibition Program at Richmond Town Hall from 23 May to 28 July, 2017.
Image Credit: Christian Thompson, Untitled #1 and Untitled #3 from the series King Billy, Type C photographs, 100cm x 100cm, 2010, Installation view, Richmond Town Hall