Lot 105
AHMAD ZAKII ANWAR
b. Johor, 1955
TRIO #2, 1997
Signed and dated ‘AHMAD ZAKII ANWAR 97’ (lower right)
Acrylic on canvas
130cm x 43.5cm; triptych, 43cm x 43.5cm each
PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Singapore.
ESTIMATE RM 20,000 - 30,000
PRICE REALISED RM 29,120 |
Realist extraordinaire Ahmad Zakii Anwar depicts an illustrative triptych of the male figure in various postures, concentrating on the areas of torso and back. Presented in a vertical format, the anatomy of a built and toned body is sensually illustrated in monochromatic palette. Dated 1997, Trio #2 is a picture of admiration for masculinity, captured in an intimate setting. Zakii’s observant nature transcends his technical superiority in translating his subject onto canvas. By employing chiaroscuro technique - a method he is renowned for in his film noir-inspired works - in this sepia-toned painting, he creates an air of mysteriousness and obscurity that are often embraced in his works.
From a successful advertising background, he switched full-time to fine art in the early 1990s and has become a master of Urban Realism. A graduate of Graphic Design from the Mara Institute of Technology in 1977, he made great impact with the Smoker series for his first solo in 1997. Zakii came to attention with his virtuosity and command of a spectrum of media from charcoals to oils, building a reputation for stunning photorealistic still-life paintings and expressive portraits. His career milestones were noted in 2007 when he joined the premier ranks in the artist’s workshop project at the Singapore Tyler Print Institute, as well as a mid-career survey exhibition Disclosure held at Galeri Petronas, Kuala Lumpur in 2008. In recent years, he has had a number of notable exhibitions abroad such as Bones and Sinews, Andrewshire Gallery (USA, 2011), Kota Sunyi, C.P. Art Space (Indonesia, 2007), Shadowland, Plum Blossoms Gallery (Hong Kong, 2001) and Presence, Barbara Greene Fine Art (USA, 1999). He participated in an artist residency programme hosted by Baik Art in Jeju Island, Korea in October 2013.
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