Sunday September 9, 2012
A fresh site for art
By T. AVINESHWARAN
Yusof Ghani fulfils life-long dream with new gallery.
A CHANCE to study in the United States turned out to be a double blessing for Yusof Ghani as he got the opportunity to meet Walter Kravitz, a professor in painting, who introduced him to fine arts. Kravitz was an inspiration to Yusof, who then began to stamp his mark as an artist.
Upon completing his master’s degree at the Catholic University in Washington DC in 1983, the Malaysian held his first solo exhibition, Protest, at the Anton Gallery in the capital. The series was a hit and drew rave reviews from Washington Post art critic Jo Ann Lewis.
After six years in America, he returned to Malaysia and continued with his work in Kuala Lumpur. He created an impressive repertoire of series, among which were Tari, Topeng, Wayang, Hijau, Segerak, Biring and Wajah .
Having visited many exhibitions and galleries around the world, the artist began to nurse a dream to have his own gallery. That became a reality when he set up Tapak Gallery in Shah Alam, Selangor, in April this year. The 62-year-old artist had bought a vacant lot near his house to build the RM2mil gallery.
Tapak (site in Malay) showcases art works by many Malaysian artists but two months ago, he brought in creations by Japanese ceramic sculptor Masaaki Shibata for an exhibition titled Form Of Time.
Yusof says he has already achieved his first goal of building an educational centre through Tapak, where young artists can learn about and appreciate the value of Malaysian fine arts. Many students from UiTM and other universities have visited his gallery, to do research on art, and for classes with the man himself.
His next goal is to create awareness among Malaysians about the beauty and power of contemporary arts.
Yusof, a fan of American Abstract Expressionism by Pollock and de Kooning, is also an avid art collector of works by noted Malaysian artists. His collection was assembled over 30 years and he cherishes every piece.
Awang Damit, Zainal Abidin Musa, Zulkifli Yusoff, Ng Bee and Lee Wang Fatt, Latiff Mohidin, Chang Fee Ming, Khalil Ibrahim and Ahmad Zakii Anwar are among those works are on show at Tapak.
Yusof hopes to add to his personal collection of artworks and make Tapak a centre where Malaysian artists can showcase their talents. Thus art lovers can expect to see more exhibitions in the coming months.
Right now, he is working on a new series titled Ombak, which will be exhibited at his gallery on October.
“It may have taken long time for me to fulfil my dream but it is all worth it, and I hope this journey will prosper in the years to come!”
> Tapak Gallery is at No.1, 8/28, Jalan Tanjung, Seksyen 8, Shah Alam, Selangor. Opening hours are 10.30am to 6.30pm daily, Tuesday to Sunday. An enhanced version of this story is available on The Star Apps.