Jolly Koh is one of
Malaysia's second generation artists along with Ismail Zain
Ibrahim Hussein, Latiff Mohidin and Cheong Laitong who shaped the
abstract aesthetic in the 1960's . Born in Singapore in 1941,
Jolly was raised in Malacca Jolly studied painting in England at
the Hornsey College of Art during the early 60's .He then went on
to study art education for a year at the University of London.
After returning to Malaysia to become a pioneer of the fine art
department at MARA Institute of Art he was awarded a Fullbright
Scholarsip to complete a Masters Degree in Art Education at the
University of Indiana. Upon completion of his MA he continued
studying in Indiana and was awarded a Phd. in Art Education and
Philosophy. Jolly Koh currently lives in Adelaide although he
makes several trips a year to Malaysia and still considers
Malaysia home.
Jolly Koh's abstract landscapes are often characterized as being
luminous and dreamlike. He uses oil paint and sometimes
watercolours, his broad sweeping strokes of intense colour convey
both his aesthetic and technical mastery. Technically, Jolly
Koh's controlled brush coupled with his in depth understanding of
paint and colour enables him to alternate between an opaque
impasto effect which he contrasts with a translucent effect. The
result of the combined effects is a mystical harmony, "his
paintings are provocative and beautiful with each phase developed
and fulfilling". Aside from thematic inspiration which Jolly
derives from nature including sunrises moonlight mountains and
reflections in water, he explains about his work, "there is
no subject matter what I am trying to convey is emotion".
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NN Gallery is proud to present Jolly
Koh's solo exhibition "A View of the Mountains". Jolly
Koh has had numerous solo exhibitions throughout the years,
beginning with his first solo exhibition in l957sponsered by the
British Council in Kuala Lumpur. His works have been part of group
exhibitions including X Biennale in Sao Paolo, Brazil 3rd 4th and
5th Indian Triennales, New Dehli and at
Tresors 1995 Suntec City, Singapore.
A partial list of museums
and corporate collections which include Jolly Koh's works include
National Art Gallery, Malaysia , Singapore Art Museum, National
Art Gallery, Victoria, Australia, Bank Negara, Oriental Bank,
Sime Bank, RHB Bank and the Rockefeller Ill Collection, New York.
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