LOT 4
IBRAHIM HUSSEIN, DATUK
B. Kedah, 1936 – 2009
Harlem Bull, 1982
Acrylic on paper
42 x 57 cm
Private Collection, Singapore
Signed and dated “Ibrahim Hussein ‘82” on lower left. Titled “Harlem Bull’ on the lower right of the paper
RM 70,000 – 120,000
By Malaysia’s iconic artist Ibrahim Hussein, Harlem Bull (1982) is a striking acrylic on paper that exemplifies the artist’s mastery of movement, rhythm, and abstraction. Through sweeping strokes of blue, red, and white, the composition evokes the image of bull in full charge, a symbol raw power and unstoppable momentum, surging forward with a sense of rhythm and force. Painted during a period when Ibrahim was deeply engaged with the tensions between man, nature, and urban existence, the work reflects both vitaly and struggle, resonating with the pulse of Harlem and the symbolic resilience of the bull.
The painting offered in this auction is notably influenced by the popularity of the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team in America during the time it was created. Executed in all the colours of their iconic jerseys, the work channels the team’s exuberant spirit, athletic energy, collective prowess and qualities that mirror the dynamism and strength embodied by the bull itself.
Ibrahim’s signature interplay of colour, form, and line generates an almost musical cadence across the surface, uniting ferocity and grace in a composition that captures both motion and emotion. A hallmarks of his celebrated visual language.