An Evening with Andrew Quilty: Storytelling, Conflict and the Pursuit of Meaning.
Few Australian photographers have documented conflict, humanity and place with the depth and sensitivity of Andrew Quilty.
This August, Kayell Australia launches The Creatives Studio, a new conversation series bringing together some of the country’s leading image-makers. The inaugural event welcomes one of Australia’s most respected documentary photographers for an evening exploring the stories, experiences and decisions that have defined his career.
For photographers, filmmakers, journalists and anyone drawn to visual storytelling, this promises to be far more than a conversation about cameras. It is an opportunity to hear firsthand how a career can be built through curiosity, persistence and a willingness to follow stories wherever they lead.
Quilty’s journey began unexpectedly. After leaving university, he travelled around Australia with a surfboard and a Nikon F3 inherited from his uncle. Just a week into the trip, almost everything he owned was stolen except the camera. That chance moment would ultimately shape the course of his career.
After studying photography in Sydney, Quilty went on to document people and places often overlooked by mainstream media. His long-term work throughout Afghanistan earned international recognition, including a World Press Photo, multiple Pictures of the Year International awards, a George Polk Award and six Walkley Awards. His photographs remain among the most powerful visual records of modern Afghanistan.
Rather than focusing solely on equipment or technique, conversations with photographers like Quilty reveal something far more valuable: how trust is earned, how stories are approached with empathy and why photography continues to matter in an increasingly image-saturated world.
Hosted by acclaimed Sydney photographer Graham Monro, the evening will explore Quilty’s creative process, field experiences, and the role photography plays in documenting history as it unfolds.
For Sydney’s creative community, it offers a rare opportunity to hear directly from one of Australia’s most accomplished documentary photographers.
Whether you’re an emerging photographer, an established creative, or simply fascinated by the power of visual storytelling, this is one conversation worth making time for.
Event Details
Hosted by
Graham Monro
Date
Wednesday, 26 August 2026
Time
6:00 pm
Venue
Kayell Australia NSW Showroom
30 Whiting Street, Artarmon NSW 2064
Admission
$25 (fully redeemable as in-store credit after the event)
Includes
Food and beverages
Registration
Places are limited. Registration is essential.