LOT 32
YUSOF GHANI
(B. Johor, 1950)
Siri Tari, 1989
Signed, titled and dated
“SIRI TARI Yusof Ghani 481989” on bottom of paper
Mixed media on paper
24 x 34 cm
Provenance
Private Collection, Kuala Lumpur
SOLD – RM 6,840
“You can feel his underlying concern for humankind. It’s dancers, but it’s also something else. There are tremendous levels of subliminal content. The dancers are reaching out… for something more” – Gail Enns, Anton Gallery owner who held Yusof Ghani’s first solo in 1984.
Yusof Ghani’s obsession and fascination for dance sprouted after he submitted his thesis and painting for his master’s degree – Dance: A Cultural Statement – in 1982 in the US. He then combined the gestures of dance and bits and pieces from his Protest series, which gave birth to the Tari series. It is said that the disorder and arbitrariness of the dance is the artist’s way of commenting on social issues, on the disparity in life that causes constant chaos. Although many have said that the paintings from the Tari series come off as calm, graceful and airy but the true meaning is just the opposite. The NHB of Singapore has about four pieces by Yusof Ghani, namely ‘Gawai’, ‘Tangkal’ and two pieces from his Tari series.