작품 상세

This precious rare work has bluish-purplish hues instead of the artist-musician Ismail Mat Hussin's more common palette of orange and brown. Like Khalil Ibrahim, he picked up the rudiments at the Padang Garong School in 1954-1955, but unlike Khalil, he was not college-trained and counted Khalil as one of his mentors. Like Khalil too, he painted the East Coast fishermen but with his tjanting (a batik tool), the great camaraderie of the kampong people, when coming ashore. Here, the artist created a striking composition of fisherfolk mending nets, focusing on soft glimmering light to bring out the relaxed atmosphere and a spirit of togetherness. Self-taught, Ismail Mat Hussin worked as a graphic designer cum illustrator at Syarikat Percetakan Dian in Kota Baru from 1979-1991, and had been painting virtually full time since 1968. He was a member of Peseni (Persatuan Senilukis Kelantan) and the Angkatan Pelukis SeMalaysia. He also painted in watercolours, but his batiks fetch higher prices. He was qualified in music with a Grade V certificate in violin from the Royal School of Music in London, and worked part-time at Radio-Televisyen Malaysia Kota Baru. His highest auction record was RM 140,000, achieved in Henry Butcher Art Auction few years ago, with a batik masterpiece of similar theme, size 96 x 186cm.