Yusuf Arakkal

"There is an anguished being, disturbed, and in distress, somewhere deep inside me; a human being who yearns for a meaningful existence. It is the human presence that arouses my attention and stirs my creative inner space."

Yusuf Arakkal's early paintings were studies in abstract of the lives of the city dwellers. He used a profusion of bright colours to depict their situation. Later, his growing concern with social...
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Yusuf Arakkal's early paintings were studies in abstract of the lives of the city dwellers. He used a profusion of bright colours to depict their situation. Later, his growing concern with social issues began to be reflected in his paintings. Arakkal, through his art, depicts the everyday life of the dispossessed, in urban areas - their poverty, helplessness, dismal living conditions and their stoicism in the face of tragedy.

In keeping with his partiality for somber shades, Arakkal employs earthy shades with an occasional dab of yellow or crimson. He concentrates on the texture of his canvases and gives them a grainy, rough surface, reminiscent of timeworn, peeling, cracked walls. Several of Arakkal's canvases focus on a solitary human in various poses. "The face, whether it is of a man or a woman, is mine, an observer, and alone. I have been painting this character for 20 years. I'm not bald, I'm not a woman, but I'm sure it's me".

Arakkal has a Diploma in Painting from the Chitrakala Parishath College of Art, in Bangalore, Karnataka. He has held over 38 shows in Bangalore, Madras, Hyderabad, Calcutta, Mumbai and New Delhi. Internationally he has shown his works in London, France, New York, Honk Kong and Singapore. He received the Lalit Kala Akademi Award in 1979 and in 1981, the Shiromani Kala Puruskar from the Government of India, in 1983, and the award of the Third Asian Art Biennale, Dhaka, Bangladesh in 1986. Yusuf Arakkal passed away on 4th October, 2016.

Honours and Awards
  • 2005 Lorenso-De-Medici Gold medal at 5th Florence International Biennale of...
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    Yusuf  Arakkal
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    PAST AUCTIONS            
    Showing 4 of 19 works

    Lot 63 Details

    StoryLTD Absolute Auction 12-13 November 2013

    Yusuf Arakkal

    Untitled

    Acrylic on canvas

    27.5 x 35.5 in

    Winning bid
    $4,860
    Rs 2,91,600
    (Inclusive of buyer's premium)


    Lot 14 Details

    Absolute Art Auction 23-24 January 2013

    Yusuf Arakkal

    Untitled

    Oil on wood

    View Dimensions

    Winning bid
    $1,200
    Rs 63,600
    (Inclusive of buyer's premium)


    Lot 15 Details

    24-Hour Online Absolute Auction 10-11 July 2012

    Yusuf Arakkal

    Untitled

    Oil on canvas

    23 x 23.5 in

    Winning bid
    $4,231
    Rs 2,28,480
    (Inclusive of buyer's premium)


    Lot 24 Details

    24-Hour Auction: Small Format Art 16-17 May 2012

    Yusuf Arakkal

    Untitled

    Acrylic on fabric pasted on board

    10.5 x 8.5 in

    Winning bid
    $660
    Rs 33,000
    (Inclusive of buyer's premium)


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    PAST StoryLTD AUCTIONS            
    Showing 4 of 30 works

    Lot 43 Details

    Absolute Tuesdays 20 June 2023

    Yusuf Arakkal

    Untitled

    Oil on hardboard

    23 x 47 in

    Winning bid
    $4,390
    Rs 3,60,000
    (Inclusive of buyer's premium)


    Lot 49 Details

    Absolute Tuesdays 23 May 2023

    Yusuf Arakkal

    Untitled

    Print on paper pasted on MDF board

    23.5 x 29.5 in

    Winning bid
    $163
    Rs 13,200
    (Inclusive of buyer's premium)


    Lot 44 Details

    Absolute Tuesdays: Year End Sale 20 December 2022

    Yusuf Arakkal

    Untitled

    Mixed media on paper

    30 x 22.5 in

    Winning bid
    $750
    Rs 60,000
    (Inclusive of buyer's premium)


    Lot 7 Details

    Absolute Tuesdays: Kala Ghoda Association Fundraiser Auction 22 March 2022

    Yusuf Arakkal

    Untitled

    Oil on canvas board

    11.5 x 15.25 in

    Winning bid
    $760
    Rs 56,210
    (Inclusive of buyer's premium)


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    EXHIBITIONS            
    Showing 4 of 10 works

    Lot 152 Details

    Works on paper. 2-20 February 2006

    Yusuf Arakkal

    A River Front Shack

    Charcoal on paper

    23 x 16.5 in




    Lot 153 Details

    Works on paper. 2-20 February 2006

    Yusuf Arakkal

    River Boats

    Charcoal on paper

    16.5 x 23.5 in




    Lot 154 Details

    Works on paper. 2-20 February 2006

    Yusuf Arakkal

    A Pail of Water...

    Charcoal on paper

    23 x 16.5 in




    Lot 14 Details

    Works on paper. 20 Feb-15 Mar 2003

    Yusuf Arakkal

    Untitled

    Watercolour on paper

    30 x 22 in




    See all works in past exhibition




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