Viewing Yusof Majid's exhibition "The Peninsular Series", especially after other solos earlier this year by naiveté artists
Yusof Gajah and
Fauzul Yusri, makes me ponder upon one's notion of the search for innocence. The adult perspective cannot hide behind these large whimsical landscapes, but perhaps serve as an escapist fantasy to the harsh realities of daily life.
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| Frasers Hill (2013) |
A delightful nangka perches atop Fraser's Hill, providing its occupant a cool respite from the city, hidden below underneath thick white clouds. Three large Rafflesia flowers emerge from the Kelantan forests, while an oversized chilli floats down the Perak river, threatening to throw thrill-seeking children overboard. In 'Raub Honey Tree', a central composition complements the artists's skill in drawing night, creating a mystical yet familiar atmosphere that envelops the moonlit summit.
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| Kelantan River and It's Three Giants (2013) |
Yusof illustrates his admiration of West Malaysia's natural beauty, each painting populated with few Lilliputian figures, that narrate a human condition or current event. Amusingly quirky scenes like cooking pans floating in Penang waters may attract a viewer's immediate attention, but it is the works with an individual object, that faciliates a personal search towards the ideal untainted notion of innocence.
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| A Colossus Late Evening in Shah Alam (2013) |
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