Lot 46 | Auction XVIII

Commenting on the juxtaposition of graphic and linear elements with chromatic and painterly planes of colours, as evident in this piece, artist Wong Hoy Cheong remarked, “The violent colour and handling is superimposed by delicate, graceful and calligraphical lines. Other times, these lines float over the colours, only scratching the surface. However, when all these elements come together, the visual experience is powerful and compelling”. Originally a graphic artist in Malaysia between 1969 to 1979, Yusof Ghani’s transition to fine arts started when he received a scholarship from the government of Malaysia to study graphic arts at George Mason University, Virginia, in 1979. It was there that he met Walter Kravitz, a professor in painting, who introduced him to fine arts.

He soon became interested in the works of the American Abstract Expressionist painters such as Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning. After receiving the Dr. Burt Amanda Scholarship for the most outstanding student of art, Yusof took classes in fine arts and eventually graduated with a Bachelor’s degree. He then continued to work for a Master’s Degree at the Catholic University of America in Washington D.C., and met Professor Tom Nakashima who taught him the finer points in painting.