Lot 74 | Auction XX

LOT 74

Ismail Mat Hussin
B. Kelantan, 1938 – 2015

Musicians, 1992

Signed and dated “ISMAIL MAT HUSSIN 1992” on lower left

Ink on paper

15 x 15 cm

Provenance Private Collection, Kuala Lumpur

RM 750 – RM 1,000


The artist, known for encapsulating the everyday life of the country people in the East Cost illustrates a group of musicians. The simplicity of the scene combined with the heavy detailing that Ismail Mat Hussin features are definitely something to behold, not only because of how paradoxical the combination may seem, but also because he manages to make something so common and modest be filled with depth and aesthetic value.

Ismail Mat Hussin was born in Kota Bharu, Kelantan. He developed an interest in batik at the mere age 12 years old and picked up his batik skills from well-known artist Khalil Ibrahim and art teacher Yusof Abdullah. His career began as a violinist for Radio Televisyen Malaysia Kota Bharu, but he left and decided to put his all into painting. Ismail’s painting’s can be found in various galleries, a few being PETRONAS, Bank Negara, ESSO, Maybank and the National Art Gallery of Kuala Lumpur.