It's virtually heart-wrenching for Yusof Ghani to get out from his hugely popular Tari series to launch into Topeng (Masks), which conventionally suggests an object and something static. This piece is built on a sharp dualism which dramatically cuts the face or shield-like shape right down the centre, with one side heavy with envious darkened green. It's naïve, however, to read a face as a face in art, and so the variables could be frontal, aerial or just mark-makings within a circumscribed form. While some may look at Balinese masks, Yusof Ghani's source is closer home, the Kenyah and Kayan masks (hudoq), with talismanic and curative properties. This was triggered by a visit to Sarawak in 1988 and 1991. There is another aspect or phase to his Topeng, and that started after his South African visit in 1994. Dato' Yusof Ghani started out doing Art-related jobs for 10 years without formal education. He was artist-illustrator at the Agriculture Ministry (1967), instructor in the Fisheries Institute, Penang (1971) and a graphic artist at Radio-Television Malaysia (1977). Then he got a scholarship to study for his BFA at the George Mason University in the United States (1981), and MFA at the Catholic University in Washington, USA (1983). On his return, he lectured at the Universiti ITM with the rank of Associate Professor, but unleashed some of the most memorable art series: Tari, Topeng, Wayang, Hijau, Segerak, Biring, Wajah, Ombak, Kuda and Cenderawasih. He organised the Shah Alam Biennale involving artists from 15 countries in 2016. Yusof Ghani made his London foray with an exhibition, Segerak VI - Transcendent Figures, at the Asia House in early April 2017. Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers with partners Galeri Prima and Pinkguy Gallery organised Segerak VIII: Utopia, the final edition of Segerak series, in August 2019. The exhibition received good responses. In December 2021, a painting from the Tari series painted by Dato' Yusof Ghani realised RM 403,200 at Henry Butcher Art Auction.