RM1mil for work of art

KUALA LUMPUR: The late Datuk Ibrahim Hussein's 2m by 2.7m painting titled Red, Orange and Core created in 1984 is set to to be sold for over RM1mil at this year's Henry Butcher Art Auction 2012.
“Breaking the RM1mil mark is a record for the renowned artist, and for any Malaysian work of art so far,” said Tourism Malaysia acting director-general Datuk Azizan Noordin. Azizan, who launched a display of artworks on behalf of Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen at Publika, Solaris Dutamas, here, said artists like Ibrahim had helped elevate the status and value of Malaysian art locally and abroad.

He said there should be more exposure on local works, besides efforts such as the Henry Butcher Art Auction and the 1Malaysia Contemporary Art Tourism Festival, to make Malaysia a reputable destination for art enthusiasts. “The ministry hopes to position Malaysia among the top 10 countries in global tourism exchange earnings by 2015.

“Our commitment is clear under the Malaysian Tourism Transformation Plan which targets 36 million tourists and an income of RM168bil by 2020,” he said. He lauded Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers for its dedication in educating the public on local works.

This year's auction on May 6 would showcase 86 works by prominent local artists including, for the first time, photography, sculpture and Chinese ink. “This is Henry Butcher's third consecutive auction, a Malaysian-bred initiative. We are moving closer to establishing a transparent platform for the trading of Malaysian art,” said Henry Butcher Asset Auctioneers chairman Tan Sri Kamal Hashim.

The auction will be held at White Box, MAP@Publika at 1pm. The 86 works have been open to public since Saturday and would be on display until May 5 from 11am to 7pm. Potential bidders are encouraged to view the works prior to the auction and register by 11am. For more information, call 012-227 5325 / 016-298 0852, e-mail leoni@hbart.com.my or log on to www.hbart.com.my.
-thestar online.