LOT 90
JOLLY KOH
(B. Singapore, 1941)
Morning in Bandar Maharani, 2012
Signed and dated “Jolly Koh 12” on lower left
Oil on canvas
30 x 40 cm
Provenance
Private Collection, Kuala Lumpur
Illustrated on page 26 of “JOLLY KOH, TOWARDS THE NEBULA” exhibition catalogue
Published in 2013 by The Edge Galerie
SOLD – RM 12,980
“I believe a painting must be beautiful in order to be able to fulfill its function of uplifting the soul.” – Jolly Koh
True to his word, Jolly Koh creates a dream landscape – a warm, luminous wash of intense blend of red and orange, bright and bold like the sun and soothing to the soul. With a vast amount of space, this piece is stunning in its bareness, the focus being on the wonderful warmth and shades of colour. It is akin to a sunset, those certain few minutes before the sun competely disappears from view, and it is peaceful, quiet and comforting.
His exploration of the relationship between colour and space result in this beautiful masterpiece, with the only disruption of the beautiful colour-space being the strokes and streaks at the bottom. This piece is translucent and breathtaking, as Jolly Koh successfully takes the viewer to another fantasy world with the combined use of oil and acrylic, producing yet again another romantic and lyrical painting.
Jolly Koh was born in Singapore, where he studied for his National Diploma in Design at Hornsey College of Art, London in the year 1962. A year after, he obtained his Art Teacher’s Certificate from London as well, and his Masters at Indiana University, USA in 1972. His artworks have been exhibited at the National Art Gallery in Victoria, Australia, Bank Negara Malaysia, the Fullerton Hotel in Singapore and J.D. Rockefeller III Collection, just to name a few. The NHB of Singapore has ten pieces in their collection by Jolly Koh which span from 1959 to 1996.