By Willy Wilson | July 12, 2011
Photographs courtesy of Purplehouz Fine Arts
Investing in local maestro’s works
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Khalil Ibrahim in his studio
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Adding quality artworks to your house may turn out to be one of the smartest ways to increase your property value. But art investment is as complex as other form of investments.
Unless you are a well-versed art enthusiast, it is always safe to invest in artworks done by well-known artists. If you intend to display the artworks at home, you would have to consider if they would blend in with the interior setting of your house.
Homeowners interested in buying artworks, but not quite sure where to begin, should drop by Purplehouz Fine Arts Exhibition Space. Located in Jalan Gasing, Petaling Jaya, Purplehouz Fine Arts Exhibition Space is a venue where artist, collectors and art lovers are able to learn about local artworks.
“The Gallery is a retail space where Purplehouz Fine Artsʼ extensive and diverse art collections are displayed for art collectors to browse and invest. Every month this space will feature a group or solo artist exhibition for the public to learn from and admire,” says Navinder Gill, managing director of Purple Houz Sdn. Bhd.
The exhibition space currently features the works of Khalil Ibrahim. Aptly entitled “A tribute to Khalil Ibrahim”, the exhibition features more than 200 exclusive pieces dating back to the 1960ʼs, including Khalil’s famous East Coast series, Wau, and the celebrated Batik-inspired pieces.
Khalil Ibrahim’s journey
For the uninitiated, Khalil Ibrahim is a veteran artist whose works are adored worldwide. The 77-year-old's claim to fame is his East Coast series, which drew inspiration from the socio-cultural values that exist in the rural Malaysian Peninsula. His bold use of colours, combined with his modern sensibility, has rendered the East Cost series an unmatched popularity among art enthusiasts.
Khalil’s ability to capture human emotions, without overtly social or political, is another testament to his brilliance. This unique quality of his works perhaps derived from the different cultures he has been exposed to.
Hailing from Kota Bahru, Kelantan, Khalil Ibrahim is the son of an immigrant Sumatran. In September 1959, he enrolled in St. Martin’s School of Art. The artist admitted that the first year of his study in London was spent creating meticulous still drawings.
In years to come, Khalil became a more sophisticated artist, who mastered varying techniques and application of colors as well as composition and anatomy.
During his study in St. Martin’s, he immersed in the European arts, frequently visiting museums and galleries in London. Khalil was particularly drawn to the works of Rubens – a fascination that later on reinforced his interest in the human form. The anatomy of the human form soon became a recurring form in his artworks.
During the 60s in London, where a vast modern movement started, Khalil became gradually aware of modernistic tendencies of everything from architecture to fine arts. He soon adapted the much heralded cubist style, which is essentially about the ability to simplify three-dimensional complexities into two-dimensional art.
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From left to right: Dewa Dewi (1978), Vivacity (2008), and The Spirit of the East Coast and Sanur (2000).
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Khalil’s artistic development continued upon returning to Malaysia. He traveled to rural parts of Malaysia and Indonesia, where he met many artists who he subsequently learned from. And despite his Western-style artistic training, it was the lush tropical landscapes and the ardent humanism of Southeast Asia that really inspired his works over the last five decades.
‘A Tribute to Khalil Ibrahimʼ exhibition is open to the public from July 2, 2011 to August 31, 2011, 10am to 7pm daily.
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Purplehouz Fine Arts Exhibition Space |
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No. 94, Jalan Gasing, 46000 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. |
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603-7960 8005 |
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http://purplehouz.com/ |
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