Lot 069
RAHMAT RAMLI
b. Thailand, 1964
UNTITLED, 1992
Signed and dated ‘Rahmat 92’ (lower right)
Oil on canvas
74cm x 94cm
PROVENANCE
Private collection, Kuala Lumpur.
ESTIMATE RM 5,000 - 9,000 |
Can pomegranates be grown in Malaysia? In Malay, the pomegranates are known as buah delima because its seeds look like ruby stones. Among the Hindus, they believe that it’s one of Lord Ganesha’s favourite fruits, while the Chinese believe that the planting of pomegranates in front of their house would bring in good luck. In recent years, the pomegranates have been said to have all kinds of curative properties, with the result that it has become expensive. To the two barefoot boys clad in only shorts (their pants are loose), they have gained access to the estate, and have used catapults to shoot down some of the fruits hanging in the higher branches which are out of their reach. Probably the catapults were also meant for shooting things playfully, or to protect themselves from danger.
Little is known about Rahmat Ramli. Rahmat’s name was mentioned as the artist of the painting How Much For One Bunch of Bananas? (Page 42) in Professor Muliyadi’s book, Modern Malaysian Art From The Pioneering Era To The Pluralist Era (1930s-1990s) (Utusan Publications).
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