Dragons are forever. Real or mythic, they capture the human imagination like no other and exist in emblems and entablatures and in the Chinese zodiac legend as one of the 12 mythical lunar creatures. They can be invisible, in feeling and scent only, as in this Jolly Koh’s Dragon Country, one in a series of three, with swift but graceful movements in some celestial space. Executed in a vast expanse of red sienna colours that are luminous, the work resonates with harmony that produces a sense of motion across space. It simultaneously suggests the impressions of a place, and connection between the self and the environment. At the paintings right edge, exuberant and free-flowing vertical bands overlap, swirl, and merge seamlessly into one another, channelling the energy of movement. Jolly Koh himself, born in 1941, is a Metal Snake, sharing the sinuous movements and physiological characteristics of the dragon. Jolly Koh’s dragon repertoire spans the years 2001-2006. Artist, art academician and intellectual-theorist, Jolly Koh has transcended his GRUP Magnificent Seven persona of 1967 as an alchemist of colours. Born in Singapore, grew up in Malacca, studied in England and the United States, taught in Malaysia and Australia, he has had several solo exhibitions since his first in 1957 culminating in his major survey show Jolly Koh@76 (organised by Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers) at White Box, Publika, Kuala Lumpur, in 2017, accompanied by a 350-page retrospective book. His academic credentials: National Diploma in Design at the Hornsey College of Art in London; Art Teacher’s certificate at the Institute of Education in London University; Doctor of Education and Master of Science at the Indiana University in the United States.