Lot 69
YUSOF GHANI
B. Johor, 1950
Siri Tari 14/91, 1991
Mixed media on canvas
122 x 122 cm
Provenance Private Collection, Kuala Lumpur
RM 80,000 – RM 150,000
Yusof Ghani’s renowned and highly coveted series, the Siri Tari portrays the movements and lines of people in subtle yet vibrant hues that is visually appealing. He captures the fluid motions and elegance using dance painting to portray the human behaviour. After Yusof Ghani moved on from his Protest Series, many had assumed that his paintings have undergone a complete makeover, from sinister and edgy to orchestrated and graceful. Yusof Ghani, however, refuted this. This work from the Tari Series did not change course, it still revolved around social remarks. In this series, he uses dance paintings to portray human behaviour and to experiment with lines, movement and colour. “Life is sometimes like dancing – we move about with no purpose but we get lots of pleasure out of it,” said Yusof. Despite how elegant this painting of dancing looks, it was never intended to be graceful. The lines and sketches on this artwork were executed freely and spontaneously in a frenzied and haphazard manner. It is perhaps, the play of colours, that gives this painting that polished, fluid air.