Description
Rafiee Ghani's iconic compositions depict intimate objects in a home. The domestic objects are enveloped by soft, glimmering light passing through an open window. A dreamlike quality is felt in the colourful flower arrangements, translucent containers, and luscious bouquets found on the table. Rafiee's interest in depicting interior spaces is evident here, interpreted with the use of vibrant colours, bold brushstrokes, lines, and textures. The captivating blooms consisting of pinks, orange, and yellows are complemented with the dark green foliage, reflecting his choice of brilliant colours.
In 1984 and 1985, Rafiee Ghani set his name in lights when he consecutively won the Minor Award in the Young Contemporary Artists competition, and he showed it was no fluke when he again snared the Minor Award in the 'adult' Salon Malaysia (1991). In 1994, he won 2nd Prize in the one-off private Malaysian Art Open competition and a Juror's Choice winner in the Malaysian tier of the Philip Morris Asean Art Awards. He did his MA (Fine Prints) at the Manchester Polytechnic, England, in 1987. He first studied at the De Vrije Academie Voor Bildeende Kunst, The Hague (1980) but did not complete, before returning to Malaysia to do his Diploma (majoring in Printmaking) at the Mara Institute of Technology (1985). He had also teaching stints, at ITM from 1986-1988 and 1989-1990, and then in Mahe in the Seychelles, in 1991-1993. In January 2022, he held a solo exhibition, Overland, jointly organised by Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers, at Galeri Prima, Kuala Lumpur.