작품 상세

All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and entrances. (William Shakespeare, As You Like It, spoken by Jaques). These oft-quoted lines from Shakespeare’s play, perhaps best sums up the impetus of this series. The theatrical device is Yusof Ghani’s ‘stage’ to comment on man’s noble and base instincts, the sacrifices, intrigues, treachery, in a never-ending gamesmanship, for power, richness and for love. The thrust is the use of distorted animal morphology, like some ceremonial emblems. But this is no Animal Farm menageries. Yusof Ghani is a late-starter in art, getting formal education first at the George Mason University in Virginia (BFA, 1981) and then the Catholic University in Washington DC (MFA, 1983) without having to go through the usual ITM (Mara Institute of Technology), although he later taught there. Despite having work in art-related jobs for 10 years previously, he did not have formal art education. He has made a huge impact from the various series of his paintings: Tari, Topeng, Wayang, Hijau, Segerak, Biring, Wajah and Ombak. Yusof also organised the Shah Alam Biennale.