1957 - He had his early education at the Tengku Mahmud Iskandar Primary (Elementary) School. He continued his secondary education (high school) at the Seri Perhentian School in 1963.

1964 - His father retired from the government service and the family moved to a little coastal village at Rimba Terjun which is 10 km from Kukup at the tip of the Malay Peninsula. From the new home he had to cycle for an hour to his school in Pontian. At school, Yusof was an active member of the art society and he did a mural for the school.

1968 - After completing school, he moved to Kuala Lumpur in search for a job. He stayed with his brother at Kampung Baru. He met Yusof Razak and other artists at the Sunday market and tried his luck at making handicrafts for a living.

1969 - Got a job as an illustrator for children's books with a publishing firm in Kuala Lumpur. The following year, he joined the Ministry of Agriculture as an artist/illustrator. In 1971, he was transferred to the Fisheries Institute in Penang where he served as an instructor on technical drawings.

1972 - Met Siti Meryam who also worked at the Fisheries Department and the couple was married on July 22, 1972. His father-in-law was a farmer and Yusof enjoyed the vast landscape of rice paddy fields for which he did a lot of sketches and paintings. The couple's first child, Surizan was born on October 31, 1973.

1977 - Returned to Kuala Lumpur to work as a graphic artist with TV Malaysia (RTM).

1979 - Enrolled at George Mason University in Virginia, U.S.A. to study graphic art.

1980 - Met Walter Kravitz, a professor in painting at George Mason University. Yusof became interested in fine art and started taking elective courses in painting. Participated in an international art exhibition organized by the Art Barn Gallery in Washington, D.C. Was chosen as the most outstanding student for art and was awarded the Dr. Burt Amanda Scholarship.

1981 - Took several advanced painting studies under the guidance of Walter Kravitz. Also visited artists' studios in New York. Received the "Most Creative Award" for his art project at the university. Graduated with a Bachelor in Fine Art (Graphic Art) degree.

1982 - Continued with his post graduate studies in fine art at the Catholic University in Washington, D.C. where he met Tom Nakashima, a professor in painting. Nakashima taught Yusof the finer points of painting. Obtained his Master in Fine Art degree the following year. Involved with a group of radical artists and participated in several protest art exhibitions. Among them was a group protest show called "American Intervention in Nicaragua & El Salvador" at Gallerie Intae in Washington, D.C.

1984 - Had his first solo exhibition with his "Protest" series on July 27 at Anton Gallery, Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. Returned to Malaysia and became a teaching staff at School of Art & Design, Institut Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam, Selangor.

1985 - Felt out of place with his "Protest" paintings as the local scene was heavily drawn into a search for a national identity for Malaysian art. Islamic and pribumi (native/local) motifs were introduced into paintings by local artists. Participated with his Siri Tari (Dance Series) painting in the National Open Show, organized by the National Art Gallery in Kuala Lumpur.

1988 - Represented Malaysia at the "Contemporary Paintings of Malaysia" exhibition at the Los Angeles Pacific/Asia Museum.

1989 - Had his first solo exhibition with Siri Tari at GaleriCitra, Kuala Lumpur.

1990 - Organized and participated in "Artist Call", a group protest show together with Wong Hoy Cheong, Raja Shariman, Jalani Abu Hassan, Ahmad Azhari. Suffered a stroke and went to Penang for three months for treatment. Did sketches while he was there.

1991 - Hampered by his illness, he worked on a soft and wash technique for the drip series of Siri Tari. Participated in the International Art Festival in Sarawak (East Malaysia) with other artists from Asia and Europe. Was fascinated and inspired by the Dayak's (local tribe) culture and the role of masks in their community.

1992 - Transition period from Siri Tari (Dance Series) to Topeng (Masks). Did research on masks and subsequently did sketches of masks of the Kenyah and Kayan tribes. Had an exhibition of "Works on Paper" at Galeriwan, Kuala Lumpur.

1993 - Participated in a joint exhibition, "Impression of Nusantara (Malay-Indo Region)" with Fatimah Chik at the Ginza Pocket Park in Tokyo, Japan. Also conducted a solo exhibition on Topeng at GaleriCitra. The exhibition showcased 150 small panel paintings, each measuring 18" x 12".

1994 - Went to Spain together with other Malaysian artists - Fatimah Zubir, Tajuddin Ismail, and Awang Damit for an exhibition at the Museum of Anthropology in Madrid. Also participated in the Eight Triennale India Exhibition in New Delhi. Later during the year, Yusof went to Johannesburg. Travelled by road to Cape Town for a two week stay where he visited galleries and met South African artists.

1995 - Did the Topeng II exhibition at GaleriCitra which featured works on canvas. Went to U.K. in November to visit art galleries and meet artists. Prepared for first solo exhibition in Singapore. The exhibition was organized by Artfolio Singapore.