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Verging on fully abstract, silhouettes of physical forms – all seemingly in a ceaseless movement – are discernible in this work on paper from Yusof Ghani’s sought after Tari series. The tugs-and-pull of figures in rhythmic surge and antithetical clashes comes in a subdued palette of earthy browns, with strokes of blues peeking through the space between figures. Artist-critic-historian J. Anu observed: “Through aggressive brushstrokes and rapid lines exploding on the canvas of frantic dancers, Yusof seems to say that anger can be beautiful.”

Yusof Ghani was awarded a scholarship to study at George Mason University, USA. He graduated with a BFA (Graphic Art) in 1981 and pursued his MFA (Fine Art) at Catholic University in Washington in 1983. Before his American studies, he had worked as an artist-illustrator (Agriculture Ministry, 1967), an instructor (Fisheries Institute, Penang, 1971) and a graphic artist (RTM, 1977). On his return, he lectured at the Universiti MARA Institute of Technology.