LOT 21
KHALIL IBRAHIM
(B. Kelantan, 1934)
Figures Study, 1987
Signed and dated “Khalil Ibrahim 87” on lower right
Pen on paper
15 x 50 cm
Provenance
Private Collection, Kuala Lumpur
SOLD – RM 3,776
The presences of figures in this piece are tightly-knitted and almost amalgamated, rendered tastefully by Khalil Ibrahim by pen and paper.
These shapes and forms are bits and pieces of the human form, torn and cautiously reassembled in arbitrary strips and lines done by pen. It is crowded and concentrated and these ladies can be found in different poses and positions. His love for the art of nude bodies and that of women’s come alive in this piece, as it is also evidence of Khalil Ibrahim’s intimate knowledge of his subject. This piece is swarming, condensed and strong yet exuding ambiguity. This piece could be considered a dance, an intermingling between shapes and figures, a lively yet wavering cadence behind it all, leaving it up to the viewer what to take from it. Seven of Khalil Ibrahim’s watercolour works from 1960 to 1992 are featured in the NHB Singapore’s collection.