“When I picturise the group of lines as a basic element, a strange happening occurs. Many lines emanate from this indivisible point, which then give birth to innumerable unrecorded lines.” - Yusuf
Yusuf ' s (b. 1952, Gwalior) art is an ongoing conversation between control and freedom, discipline and flow, presence and absence. Line as Witness is an accumulation of years of his works, spanning acrylic paintings, mixed media explorations, and sculptural forms.
Throughout his decades-long practice, the artist has returned to the line with a rare sense of persistence and inquiry, treating it as both subject and method. In his work, the line performs multiple roles: it measures space, records movement, constructs form, and holds within it the memory of a gesture. A line is not merely a modest mark; it is a living unit capable of endless transformation, a site where perception, abstraction, and lived experience converge.
Through the quiet persistence of this gesture, Yusuf reminds us that even the most minimal element - a singular line - can contain an entire world of possibility, and yet, the meaning resides in the spaces in between.
The artist lives and works in Bhopal. Yusuf’s “Line as witness” is a solo exhibition held by Black Cube Gallery and Shantanu Sharma in March 2026.
