HIJRAH by Datuk Syed Ahmad Jamal was auctioned off at RM313,600, the highest bid at the Art + Architecture Auction here yesterday.
Produced in 1999, the 122cm x 213cm oil painting characterises the migration of Prophet Muhammad from Makkah to Medina.
The painting has been described as “the transition of red, blue, green, yellow and the Nur white with a blobbish dark-hued blue evokes a sense of struggle and obstacles despite the evanescent shades”.
Presented by Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers, the auction was held at Galeri Prima, which featured 200 artworks.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers director Sim Polenn said 70 per cent of the artworks were sold yesterday.
“A total of 140 paintings were sold for a total of RM3.2 million.
“We are happy with the result as it exceeded what we achieved in April, which was RM2.8 million,” he said after the auction.
He said paintings by the late Syed Ahmad, late Datuk Ibrahim Hussein and Abdul Latiff Mohidin remained favourites among bidders.
“This year is our 10th anniversary. From our record, artworks by these three artists are usually among the highest bids in our auctions.
“In this auction, Syed Ahmad’s Hijrah was auctioned off at RM313,600, the highest bid, followed by Ibrahim’s Xenobiosis at RM291,200 and Abdul Latiff’s Dark Bakau at RM268,800,” he said, adding that all three paintings were bought by local collectors.
Created in 1969, Xenobiosis features Ibrahim’s innovated technique that he dubbed “printage” (image transfer) at the top and a few abstract figures positioned at the bottom.
The figure in the “printage” was speculated to be an English model, actress and singer widely known as Twiggy.
Dark Bakau has a more sparse veneer with snorkelling-like tendrils sticking out, very much like mangroves recycling oxygen within its depths.
The auction also featured artworks by Thai, Indonesian, Filipino and Vietnamese artists.