Ben Quilty

Ben Quilty (born 1973) is an Australian artist and social commentator, who has won a series of painting prizes: the 2014 Prudential Eye Award, 2011 Archibald Prize, and 2009 Doug Moran National Portrait Prize. He has been described as one of Australia's most famous living artists.

Early life and education

Quilty was born in Sydney in 1973, and grew up in Kenthurst in Sydney's north-west.

He was educated at Kenthurst Public School and Oakhill College, where he exhibited his HSC artwork in ArtExpress in 1991 (or 1992 ). Subsequently, Quilty was selected as the recipient of the Julian Ashton Summer School Scholarship.

After high school, Quilty followed his interest in art and obtained a Bachelor of Visual Arts in Painting from Sydney College of the Arts at the University of Sydney, graduating in 1994. He earned a Certificate in Aboriginal Culture and History in 1996, and went on to study visual communication, design and women's studies at Western Sydney University, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 2001. Quilty's experiences as a war artist and the work he produced as a result of it was explored in the ABC TV's Australian Story program "War Paint" screened on 3 September 2012.

Style, subjects and practice Quilty's work has been influenced by a number of life experiences, including the drug and drinking culture of his youth, later political activism, and his experience as a war artist. It opened in October 2021, and in mid-2022 featured a major exhibition of the work of brothers Abdul and Abdul-Rahman Abdullah, along with video works by Tracey Moffatt.

Honours and awards 2018: Elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of New South Wales 2015: Honorary Doctorate of Creative Arts, Western Sydney University It was his seventh entry to the prize. 2009: Doug Moran National Portrait Prize, Sydney, for his painting of Australian musician Jimmy Barnes 2004: Kings School Art Prize, Sydney and the Art Gallery of New South Wales (October 2019 as well as including new Rorschach-based works documenting the Myall Creek massacre and an hitherto unrecorded massacre in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY lands) in South Australia, titled Irin Irinji. The run at the Art Gallery of New South Wales coincided with the release of the documentary Quilty – Painting the Shadows, made by Catherine Hunter, on ABC Television on 19 November 2019. A book, Quilty, was published to accompany the exhibition, which includes essays Slade, Quilty's close friend, author Richard Flanagan, and head curator of International Art at the Art Gallery of NSW, Justin Paton.

Other solo exhibitions include: Ben Quilty LIVE! University of Queensland Art Museum, Brisbane (2009) Ben Quilty, Saatchi Gallery, London (4 July 2014–3 August 2014) Ben Quilty, Kuta Beach, Hong Kong Art Fair with Tolarno Galleries, Hong Kong (2014) Ben Quilty: After Afghanistan, Australian War Memorial Special Exhibitions Gallery, Canberra, touring (2014–2016)

Group exhibitions Group exhibitions include: An Oeuvre Both Abundant and Diverse, SCA Galleries, Sydney College of the Arts (2010) Embodied, Pearl Lam Galleries, Hong Kong (7 November 2014–10 January 2015) Australian Artists in Bali: 1930s to Now, McClelland Sculpture Park + Gallery, Langwarrin, Victoria (2015) NGV Triennial 2017, National Gallery of Victoria (15 December 2017–15 April 2018)

Collections As well as being held in private collections in Australia and around the world, examples of Quilty's work are held in a number of public collections in Australia, Art Gallery of South Australia (Self portrait (as Cook ...) (2011), and Self portrait (as Cook with sunglasses) (2011)), Australian War Memorial, Canberra Bendigo Art Gallery (Kuta Rorschach No 2 (2013), acquired 2014), Goulburn Regional Art Gallery (Torana (2007), and Skull Rorschach (2009)) Macquarie Bank, Australia Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (Van Rorschach (2005), acquired 2007), National Gallery of Australia, Canberra National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Parliament House, Canberra (Lead Shot Rorschach (2013)), Queensland Art Gallery (Sergeant P, after Afghanistan (2012)). Shepparton Art Museum (Jug (Loydy) (2014), acquired 2018, Conscript (Private Phil Butler) (2014), acquired 2016, Scream after Leonardo (2014), acquired 2018, Jug (Nose) (2014), acquired 2018, Jug (Leonardo) (2014), acquired 2018 University of Queensland Art Museum, Brisbane