HEART & SOUL with DAVID LESER

Ep 2 Ben Quilty: Problems to Solve, Not People to Kill

Ben Quilty on love, masculinity, anxiety and the power of kindness. This wide-ranging conversation delves into the art and passions of Ben Quilty, also his friendship with Bali Nine prisoner-turned-artist Myuran Sukumarun, as well as the silence surrounding abuse during his schooling years. A visual artist always asking the ‘why’, Quilty is candid about the ‘unknowingness’ of creating and the cultural importance of art.

About the guest
Ben Quilty is one of Australia’s most celebrated artists whose work continues to draw critical acclaim, both nationally and internationally. Quilty won the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize in 2009 and was runner up in the 2009 Archibald Prize with his portrait of singer Jimmy Barnes. In 2011 he won the Archibald for his portrait of artist, Margaret Olley. That same year he travelled to Afghanistan as an official war artist with The Australian War Memorial. In 2016, he was invited by World Vision Australia to travel to Greece, Serbia and Lebanon with author, Richard Flanagan, to witness — and document — firsthand the international refugee crisis. His work is represented in numerous major public, corporate and private collections including the National Gallery of Australia, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery of South Australia, National Gallery of Victoria and QAGOMA.

Credits
Host: David Leser — Director: Ian Darling — Camera and lights: Ben Cunningham, Harry Kielly, Tiernan Rennie — Sound: Mary Macrae — Front of House: Sarah Butler — Photography: Harry Kielly — Editors: Sally Fryer and Harry Kielly