Ben Quilty

Ben Quilty lives and works in Australia. Widely known for his thick, gestural oil paintings, Quilty has worked across range of media. His works often serve as a reflection of social and political events; from the current global refugee crisis to the complex social history of Australia, he is constantly critiquing notions of identity, patriotism and belonging.

Quilty has been a finalist in the prestigious Wynne and Archibald prizes and won the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize in 2009 and the Archibald Prize in 2011 with his portrait of artist, Margaret Olley. In 2011, Quilty travelled to Afghanistan as an official war artist with The Australian War Memorial. He was invited by World Vision Australia to travel to Greece, Serbia and Lebanon with author, Richard Flanagan, to witness firsthand the international refugee crisis in 2016. In 2019 the Art Gallery of South Australia presented the first major survey exhibition of Quilty’s work. Curated by Lisa Slade, the exhibition toured to the Art Gallery of NSW and QAGOMA. From 2012-2021 Quilty was a Trustee on the Board of the Art Gallery of NSW. In 2025 Ben was appointed as a member of the National Gallery of Australia Council. He is also the Founder of Ngununggula, The Southern Highlands Regional Gallery.

Ben Quilty lives and works on Gundungurra Country, South of Sydney, Australia.