Christine Tschuna of the Wirangu people of South Australia was born at the Koonibba Aboriginal Reserve. At the time of her birth this Reserve was owned and operated by the Lutheran Church. She found she had an interest and a talent for the visual arts whilst still at school on the Reserve but did not sell her first painting until 1981 to the coordinator of the Koonibba Women’s Group. This sale was pivotal in boosting Tschuna’s confidence to develop her art practice further in the hope of making a living from her talents.
Tschuna is a member of the Ceduna Aboriginal Arts and Culture Centre and through them has exhibited at the 2006, 2007 and 2008 'Our Mob’ exhibitions held each year at the Adelaide Fesitval Centre. She has also exhibited in Country Arts South Australia’s New Land Gallery (in Port Adelaide) in a joint exhibition in 2005 in group shows in 2007 at the Red Poles Gallery in Mclaren Vale and the True Blue Gallery in Fremantle, Western Australia.
She was a finalist in the 2004 Waterhouse Natural History Art Prize held at the South Australian Museum and in the Port Lincoln Art Prize in 2007
Tschuna has also been selling her imagery on postcards, bookmarks, notepads, photo frames, magnets, keyrings, can coolers, mouse pads and colouring books through the Koolbarrdi Authentic Aboriginal Art & Products website.
She lives on the Homeland property of Koongawa Dundey which is situated approximately 10 kilometres from Ceduna.
- Writers:
- Allas, Tess
- Date written:
- 2009
- Last updated:
- 2011
