Alias Yussof was born in 1958 in Kelantan. He began his artistic journey with education at Universiti Teknologi Mara (formerly known as Institut Teknologi Mara), where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Art & Design. Following this, Alias pursued his graduate studies abroad, enrolling in the prestigious Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, USA during the winter of 1985. The subsequent year, he embarked on another graduate study, this time at the School of Art at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, USA. He graduated with a Master’s in Fine Arts, specializing in metalsmithing.
Upon his return to Malaysia in 1987, Alias started his career as an educator at the Faculty of Art & Design at UiTM in Shah Alam. He continued to contribute to the university, serving as an educator in various fields and taking on several administrative positions for 31 years.
In 2014, Alias founded and established Keluli Studio, where he has been actively engaged in crafting abstract paintings, metal sculptures, and design consultation. Alias retired from UiTM, Shah Alam as a professor in October 2018. Although he is trained as a designer, Alias is primarily known for his passion for painting. Over the years, he has participated in 40 group exhibitions, both locally and internationally.
Renowned for his bold use of color and structured compositions, Alias finds inspiration in flowers. His current work, “Secret Garden,” is rich and teems with various flower-shaped silhouettes that populate his canvases. Some of these floral images are more recognizable than others, as they are stenciled and rendered atop the textured, gestural paint, creating an intriguing interplay between the foreground and background. These flowers do not carry specific symbolic meanings but rather act as markers that enable Alias to express himself spontaneously and without constraints.
Alias captures moments that are simultaneously solitary and chaotic, demonstrated through the intense and assertive brushstrokes, while the floral silhouettes maintain their shape. The result is a tumultuous visual journey that dictates the spatiality of the painting, at times crowded and sporadic. Despite the initial impression of expressive imagery, Alias’s background as a designer influences his commitment to precise adherence to rules and a sense of proportion. His artistic language resonates with a hard-edge style, characterized by systematic arrangements and abrupt transitions between color fields. The paintings exude a sense of controlled chaos within a semi-abstract composition, marked by repetition and the careful application of visual fundamentals such as harmony, rhythm, and balance.