LOT 32
KHALIL IBRAHIM
B. Kelantan, 1934 – 2018
East Coast Fishermen, 1971
Signed “Khalil Ibrahim 71” on lower left
Batik
82.5 x 94 cm
Private Collection, Kuala Lumpur
RM 60,000 – RM 120,000
Born in 1934, the late Khalil Ibrahim graduated from the prestigious St. Martin’s School of Art & Design, United Kingdom in 1964. While the late Chuah Thean Teng pioneered batik in the 1930s, it was only accepted as a medium of artistic expression by the 1960s.
Somewhat later, Khalil also forayed into this art medium, depicting the Malay life, primarily that of the fishermen fraternity, through the batik technique – in a more real sense. Khalil has held solo and group exhibitions in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Switzerland, in which most of his works centre around figures and are heavily influenced by East Coast fishermen and women.
Obtaining inspiration from his upbringing in Kelantan, this batik piece features a group of village folk clad in vibrant sarongs. Khalil utilises his skill in and complete study of the human figures to bring out movement while simultaneously using bold colours to bring about richness to this piece.