LOT 18
JOLLY KOH
B. Singapore, 1941
Untitled, 2001
Oil on canvas
152 x 67 cm
Private Collection, Kuala Lumpur
Signed and dated “Jolly Koh 01” on lower left
RM 38,000 – 70,000
“I believe a painting must be beautiful in order to be able to fulfill its function of uplifting the soul.” – Jolly Koh
True to his word, Jolly Koh creates a dream landscape – a dark, luminous wash of intense blend of blacks and grey, interspersed with splashes of white. With a vast amount of space, this piece is stunning in its bareness, the focus being on the wonderful nightscape. It is akin to the atmosphere at night, when the sun has completely disappeared from view, and it is peaceful, quiet and comforting. His exploration of the relationship between colour and space result in this beautiful masterpiece, with the only disruption of the beautiful colour-space being the strokes and streaks at the bottom. This piece is translucent and breathtaking, as Jolly Koh successfully takes the viewer to another fantasy world with the use of oil, producing yet again another romantic and lyrical painting.