Myuran Sukumaran has Last Exhibition Before Facing Firing Squad

Myuran Sukumaran has Last Exhibition Before Facing Firing Squad

Alexia Najman

Myuran Sukumaran, an Australian man who was convicted of drug trafficking in Indonesia in 2005, will be facing the death penalty this April, according to sources at The Independent. Sukumaran was arrested at the Melasti Hotel in Kuta with three others. Police found 18 pounds of heroin in a suitcase. Sukumaran was one of the alleged co-ringleaders in a heroin smuggling operation from Indonesia to Australia.

In prison, Sukumaran taught English, computer science, graphic design, and philosophy to his fellow prisoners. In February 2015, he was awarded with an Associate Degree in Fine Arts by Curtin University, which is an Australian public university based in Bentley, Perth, Western Australia. Sukumaran also started a business which sells works of art as well as a clothing brand called Kingpin Clothing.

After a last ditch effort to appeal his sentence, Sukumaran’s London based cousin organized an exhibition of his paintings. His works will be showcased at Amnesty’s International Headquarters in Shoreditch, London, to highlight his plight.

Sukumaran’s haunting oil paintings include a number of studies illustrating his grandparents’ final hours. Other paintings depict Sukumaran’s own blurred and twisted face, warped to portray unborn fetuses. His most recent paintings have become increasingly disturbing, such as a painting of a single bullet to represent his imminent death.

A number of Sukumaran’s cousins around the world are also holding exhibitions of his works over the next few weeks. Some of these places include Toronto, Sydney and Amsterdam. Sukumaran’s showing was at Amnesty International’s Human Rights Action Centre until Friday, April 17th.

Though Sukumaran’s cousins still show hope, it is fairly evident that his execution will occur some time this month. He has been moved to Indonesia’s notorious “execution island,” where his life will be ended via firing squad. Despite this, Sukumaran’s artwork is sure to continue to be exhibited long after his death.