Sunday March 5, 2006

THE STAR NEWSPAPER

Spirited show of new mediums

BY LI-EN CHONG

TO those familiar with Yusof Ghani’s work, the Segerak series marks a departure from his earlier emphasis on concept and focus on socio-political concerns. 

The Tari (1984), Topeng (1992), Wayang (1996) and Hijau (2000) series reveal Yusof’s personal passage through life. In the 1980s and 1990s, his work grappled with the complexities of human nature and behaviour, while his more recent Segerak series was eloquent in its comprehension of inner spirit and aesthetic beauty. 

The Segerak III exhibition, currently showing at Wei-Ling Gallery in Kuala Lumpur, is a continuation from 2003 (when Segerak I started).  

My immediate impression of these recent paintings is that they show sophisticated dexterity in technical execution and depiction of the subject matter. The figures are no longer depicted in obvious actions that may personify them and colours relationships that may individualise them. 

Instead, there is now experimentation in different mediums.  

Freedom and Kickers are two wonderful examples of Yusof’s new technique. In the former, a solitary figure is the central focus of the painting. Deft charcoal and strokes of oil paint illustrate the buoyancy of energy; at the heart of the figure is an indistinct haze as layers of charcoal overlap. The thickness of the sooty black could have been overwhelming, if not for the complementary use of bitumen glaze in the background, which gives the work a soft, atmospheric quality. 

In Kickers, bitumen is used to different effect: it creates tonal effects and shadows which define the physical interaction between the two figures. They are nameless, faceless and without identity, yet Yusof adeptly brings into play the relationship between the physical and cerebral selves.  

Paintings such as Searching, Nightwalkers I and Nightwalkers II hint at the haziness of a dream world and the journey within oneself. The black and white of dreams, as well as memories of actions from the past, are evoked on canvas. 

Throughout the series, the artist employs the same mannequin-like figures that would not be out of place in anatomical drawing classes. By removing the immediacy of facial expression, Yusof forces the viewer to focus his attention on the body language of the figures and interpret physical relationships.  

The resonance of his monochromatic work and the dynamism of his mixed media on canvas paintings show the importance of exploring creativity in execution and fresh directions in renderings rather than merely changing subject matter. 

When we compare these to the other vibrantly coloured paintings in this 2005 body of work – Emerging, Untouchable, Representatives and Black Man – it may be argued that the former has a more subtle refinement and that the absence of bright and almost garish colours ensures that there is no distraction or interference in the eloquence of figurative language. 

Yusof Ghani’s place in Malaysian art history is undeniable: he contributes on many levels, from his role as an educator in one of the country’s premier art schools to his presence in the collections of private individuals and national institutions worldwide. His conscious decision to continually develop his art by choosing different materials to re-interpreting the human figure, ensures his paintings are rarely viewed as tried-and-tested formulae.  

·  Segerak III is on show till March 8. Wei-Ling Gallery is located at 8, Jalan Scott, Brickfields, KL. Viewing by appointment only. For more information, please check out www.weiling-gallery.comor call 03-2260 1106.