Race of the Tuna

This artwork was featured in the artist's 2024 solo exhibition, Living Ghosts: Above and Below the Waves, held at the Salamanca Arts Centre in Hobart, Tasmania. The exhibition focused on Tasmania's threatened and endangered marine species, highlighting the urgent need for conservation to prevent their disappearance.

The piece depicts the Southern Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus maccoyii), which is classified as Endangered globally by the IUCN.

Adult Southern Bluefin Tuna can grow up to 200 kg and are among the fastest swimmers in the ocean. A migratory species, they roam waters across the globe, including Tasmania. Highly valued for their meat, Southern Bluefin Tuna populations are under threat from overfishing and exploitation.

Conservation efforts are focused on international catch limits, gene tagging, and strategies to reduce bycatch.

Created using mixed media (paper, gouache and acrylic) on recycled board. The artwork is framed in a recycled timber laminate frame, and is ready to hang.

In support of conservation efforts to protect Tasmania’s endangered marine life, 25% of the proceeds from this piece will be donated to the Australian Marine Conservation Society.

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Wendy now lives in Hobart, Tasmania, but she grew up in tropical North Queensland, so the flora and fauna of that region feature heavily in her work. She works mainly with heavy-bodied acrylics, applying the paint impasto style to create texture. She loves using bright colours, and is not afraid to get her hands dirty, as she often uses her hands and fingers instead of brushes!