KUALA LUMPUR, July 1 — Hijrah, an artwork by national laureate Datuk Syed Ahmad Jamal had the highest bid of RM313,600 during the Art + Architecture Auction yesterday.

The 1999 acrylic on canvas painting in hues of red, blue, green, yellow and white is the artist’s interpretation of journeying towards Nur, or light.

It measured 122 centimetres by 213 centimetres.

New Straits Times Online reported that the artwork was part of 200 pieces on auction at Galeri Prima by Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers.

The daily quoted Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers director Sim Polenn as saying that 70 per cent of the artworks were sold or a total of 140 paintings worth RM3.2 million.

"We are happy with the result as it exceeded what we achieved in April, which was RM2.8 million,” he said after the auction.

He said paintings by the late Syed Ahmad, late Datuk Ibrahim Hussein and Abdul Latiff Mohidin remained favourites among bidders.

"In this auction, Syed Ahmad’s Hijrah was auctioned off at RM313,600, the highest bid, followed by Ibrahim’s Xenobiosis at RM291,200 and Abdul Latiff’s Dark Bakau at RM268,800,” he said, adding that all three paintings were bought by local collectors.

The auction also featured artworks by Thai, Indonesian, Filipino and Vietnamese artists.