Yusof Gajah is one of the nation’s foremost naive artists. Talented and creative, he is known for endearing and whimsical characters that allow imagination to flow. He studied at the Akademi Seni Rupa Indonesia, Jogjakarta, Indonesia in 1975. A writer and illustrator as well, Yusof has an affinity towards elephants (gajah means ‘elephant' in Malay) and has published several award-winning children’s books with these gentle giants playing the lead role. He was awarded the top prize in the NOMA Concours for Children’s Picture Book Illustration (ACCU) in Tokyo. The competition was organised by the Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO. Aside from his art, he is also an educator, conducting workshops on children’s picture books, as well as being actively involved in storytelling and children’s literature. His solo exhibitions were held in Tokyo, Phuket, Sweden, Malaysia and Indonesia.