Lot 24 | Auction XVIII

LOT 24

YUSOF GHANI

B. Johor, 1950

Protest Series, 1984

Signed and dated “Yusof Ghani 84” on lower left

Mixed media on paper
52 x 42 cm

Provenance Private Collection, Kuala Lumpur

RM 10,000 – RM 22,000

The mood here is dark, heavy and serious. It may seem chaotic, but that is exactly what the artist was aiming for – as it is a direct representation and social commentary on humanitarian issues.

After Yusof Ghani completed his Master’s degree, he had his first solo exhibition at the prestigious Anton Gallery in Washington D.C. His Protest series, as seen in this piece, which protested the US intervention in Nicaragua and El Salvador at that time, was well received and even drew rave reviews from Washington Post’s art critic – Jo Ann Lewis.

He had participated in a group protest show against American intervention in Nicaragua with his artworks, and these artworks were catalogued under the Protest series.

After returning to Malaysia, he decided to combine elements from his Protest series with dance, which gave birth to the Tari series.