Lot 020
Nik Zainal Abidin
b. Kelantan, 1933 - d. Kuala Lumpur, 1993
Wayang Kulit Figure In Light Brown & Green, 1985
signed and dated (lower right)
watercolour on paper
24 x 26cm
PROVENANCE
Private collection, Kuala Lumpur
ESTIMATE RM 4,000 – 7,000
PRICE REALISED RM 4,704.00
|
Nik Zainal is often referred to as the “Painter of the Epics” as he often portrayed the subject matter of the wayang kulit in his works. The Kelantan-born self-taught artist is highly respected for being one of the foremost painters of wayang kulit, narrating tales of Ramayana and many others. His paintings are rich in colours and are painted in refined and meticulous strokes.
Self-taught Nik Zainal Abidin represented Malaysia in the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, in 1970, the same year he was sent on a German cultural tour. He was a member of the Wednesday Art Group. He won 1st Prize in the Merdeka Independence Art in 1967, and had his first two solos at the Samat Art Gallery in 1970 (June) and 1971 (October-November) respectively. He designed the Kunci Ibu Kota, cokmar (royal mace) and the royal throne of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. He worked as a RTM set designer from 1960 to 1987. Wrote Dolores Wharton in Contemporary Artists Of Malaysia: A Biographical Survey: “There are many who tried their hands at painting wayang kulit but none has unlocked the vitality of drama or acquired the skills of painting the figures that Nik Zainal does so effortlessly.” |