LOT 16
YUSOF GHANI
B. Johor, 1950
Segerak Series, 2002
Signed and dated “Yusof Ghani 02” on lower right
Acrylic on canvas
124 x 94 cm
Provenance Private Collection, Kuala Lumpur
Provenance Private Collection, Kuala Lumpur
RM 65,000 – RM 95,000
Yusof Ghani’s deep interest in the human form has seen him create masterpieces in his Tari series (with the combination of abstract expressionism with figuration), yet the artist decided that he was not done capturing the essence of form as he revisits the same theme in the Segerak series. He explores the human figure once more, with less of a forceful environment and mood. While it may be a reinterpretation of human figures, he approaches it in a more philosophical way. Instead of his usual personal and social commentaries such as war, famine, poverty and injustice, it is now more about the positive and negative forces in the world today.
Although the theme here is mellower than his works in Tari, there are no less vibrant and energetic and to document these movements, spontaneous marks and lines decorate his canvas – confident and broad and expressive to capture the right atmosphere for his story.
Yusof Ghani was born in 1950 in Johor and used to frequent a small movie theater as a young boy, where he developed a predisposition towards painting. He received a scholarship to study art at George Mason University, USA, where he studied Graphic Art and proceeded to pursue his Master’s in Fine Art at Catholic University, Washington. Upon returning to Malaysia, he began lecturing in Universiti MARA Institute of Technology. Most notably known for Abstract Expressionism, his other
popular series are Topeng, Wayang, Segerak and Biring.