Ben Quilty
The Last Supper, 2018
NSW, AUSTRALIA
Two Plate Colour Etching With
H & Cast Resin & Gilded Frame
106 X 140 cm
Ben Quilty’s The Last Supper is a striking reimagining of an age-old narrative, inviting us to step beyond the familiar and confront the contemporary pulse beneath the sacred. Executed in a meticulous two-plate colour etching, the work layers raw texture and visceral energy, amplified by the unexpected infusion of cast resin - a materiality that bridges the past with the present. Encased within a gilded frame, the piece oscillates between reverence and disruption, offering a dialogue between tradition and the artist’s fiercely modern voice.
Quilty’s work commands space, not just physically but emotionally - challenging us to reflect on themes of community, sacrifice, and human frailty with fresh eyes. This is a Last Supper not as an icon of certainty, but as a restless tableau that speaks to our fractured times and the complexity of connection.