Many of the works in this publication reveal surfaces built from dense horizontal line structures that stretch across the canvas.
Born in Gwalior in 1952 and trained in painting and sculpture in the 1970s, Yusuf’s artistic language developed through a sustained engagement with drawing and printmaking. Over time, the line emerged as the central protagonist of his work. For Yusuf, a line is never singular.
It inevitably produces another alongside it, and between these two appears a third presence - the space that separates them. This is where Yusuf’s philosophy becomes most potent: The white line between two dark ones carries the same weight and intention as the lines themselves. What appears absent becomes active, as if they are breathing intervals, transforming the canvas into a field where presence and absence exist in constant dialogue.
These lines are not simply backgrounds; they establish the atmospheric field within which forms emerge. At times they create the sensation of motion, like waves of energy passing across the surface. At other moments they appear almost still, forming a quiet grid that stabilises the composition. The viewer’s perception oscillates between these two states - movement and stillness - making the paintings feel simultaneously dynamic and contemplative.
A selection of works from this body was showcased by Black Cube Gallery and Shantanu Sharma in 2026, iInviting viewers to encounter his multidisciplinary work in person.
