Australian award-winning artist Ben Quilty is rushing to Bali today to check if he can see his friend and protégé Myuran Sukumaran “one last time” before his death sentence is carried out, according to an article published by ABC News.
Convicted drug trafficker of the Bali Nine, Sukumaran was struck a blow last week when Indonesian President said loud and clear that the Kerobokan death row inmate’s bid for clemency was rejected.
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Quilty has been in touch with Sukumaran since 2012, when he got Sukumaran into painting portraits. Seeing his dark past and present, Quilty helped develop Sukumaran’s ability with self-portraits in particular. This relationship has gone on for the past three years and Quilty sees the Kerobokan prisoner as a friend.
“As all stereotypes fall away, Myuran has done a horrible thing—but that’s a long time ago,” Quilty said, as quoted by ABC.
“Up until his last clemency rejection, I hadn’t really thought out this part of the friendship,” Quilty said.
“The last time I sat with him he got quite emotional. He wiped away tears. But he doesn’t have time to wallow in self pity.”
If Sukumaran can make it through 2015, he will earn his bachelor of fine arts through Monash University, but based on statements from the Jokowoi administration, that doesn’t seem likely.
A picture of Sukumaran and Quilty posted in the “Friends of Myuran Sukumaran” Facebook group:
Photos at the top taken from Friends of Myuran Sukumaran Facebook page
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