The late watercolour artist Mohd Yusof Abdul Wahid, popularly generally known as Mass Yusoff, had been eagerly planning to return to the artwork scene with a brand new gallery exhibition in September this yr.
Nevertheless, that plan was tragically dashed when the prolific painter died in July of issues from Covid-19. He was 65.
Within the final two months, Mass Yusoff’s household mirrored on his ardour for artwork as they gathered sufficient power to work in direction of realising the deliberate exhibition, now a poignant tribute to his life.
Not too long ago, they lastly launched his posthumous exhibition titled Malaysiaku Indah – Remembering Mass Yusoff on the GMBB arts mall in Kuala Lumpur. The present options greater than 100 works and was launched by Nationwide Laureate Datuk Dr Zurinah Hassan. It can run till Nov 7.
This visible celebration of Mass Yusoff’s profession spans his work courting again to 2012 proper to his most up-to-date works.
Greater than 100 works from the late artist have been gathered within the ‘Malaysiaku Indah – Remembering Mass Yusoff’ exhibition in KL. Photograph: Handout
By artwork, Mass Yusoff, who was born in Klang, Selangor, had at all times channelled his love and eager for a country life within the kampung. Whether or not it was youngsters enjoying conventional video games or busy scenes at a fishing village, he knew tips on how to seize the uncooked great thing about the second.
“My father wished his work to be accessible to as many individuals as doable. He bought a few of them for only some hundred ringgit and even gave some away. He was a beneficiant man.
“His philosophy was that everybody ought to have a pleasant portray on their partitions at dwelling,” says his daughter Nur Firdaus.
From street journeys to sketch books, Mass Yusoff mapped out many locations throughout the nation. He loved portray a Malaysia he fondly remembered, together with sleepy fishing villages, previous Malay wood homes, padi fields and boat scenes.
‘Two: Kedai Kopi’ (acrylic on canvas, 2020). Photograph: Handout
Many works additionally tapped into his childhood recollections of rising up close to Port Klang.
“He depicted scenes that we might now not, or hardly, see at this time. He didn’t paint grand scenes or folks all dressed up. He painted them as he noticed them, sitting and gossiping on the market, queuing on the meals stall,” says Linda Tan Lingard, the director of the Museum of Image Ebook Artwork, which is organising the exhibition.
“In Mass Yusoff’s work, we see all that’s treasured and that we should always maintain expensive,” she provides.
Cricket and artwork
Mass Yusoff, who was a member of the Malay Cricket Affiliation of Malaysia, cherished drawing ever since he was a toddler, typically getting himself into bother after he painted on partitions.
It was throughout his main faculty days (he obtained his early schooling at Sekolah Kebangsaan Telok Gadong in Klang) that his inventive journey correctly started, typically profitable poster drawing competitions.
He joined Utusan Melayu in 1980 after finishing his research at UiTM and served in numerous editorial positions earlier than his final stint as its inventive director. As a sportsman and artist, he additionally helped with draft plans for the Akademi Kriket Melayu Bayuemas Oval in Klang within the late Nineteen Nineties.
‘One: Kasih Nenek’ (acrylic on canvas, 2012). Photograph: Handout
After 30 years within the media world, Mass Yusoff determined to dedicate himself to portray and have become a full-time artist.
His late uncle Tuan Haji Idris Salam, one of many founders of Angkatan Pelukis Semenanjung, took on a mentor function when Mass Yusoff was slowly constructing his creative repertoire.
“Each morning after breakfast, he would drive me to out of city locations like Banting, Kuala Selangor and typically even additional wish to Melaka or Parit Jawa in Johor to take a look at kampung scenes.
“He particularly appreciated the fishing villages in Kuantan (Tanjung Lumpur) and the markets in Kelantan. Typically, we’d simply keep for the night time when it’s too late to journey again,” remembers his spouse Zabedah Koming, including that the artist would take many pictures as reference materials.
One evocative portray that’s on show is his 2012 acrylic piece known as One: Kasih Nenek. This monochromatic piece reveals a grandmother combing her granddaughter’s hair.
His daughter fondly describes him as a “jovial one who cherished to inform jokes” and shares that he was the lifetime of the get together at household gatherings and weddings.
“He was at all times cheerful and enjoyable to be with.”
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