Lot 056
AHMAD ZAKII ANWAR
b. Johor, 1955
AGENDA LARUT MALAM, 2012
Signed and dated 'Ahmad Zakii Anwar '12' (lower right)
Charcoal on paper
84cm x 224cm
PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Singapore.
ESTIMATE RM 45,000 - 75,000
PRICE REALISED RM 50,400
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Agenda Larut Malam illustrates a realistic panoramic view of an anonymous pair – a woman dressed in a stylish halter neck dress poised patiently and a smoking man clothed in a smart attire of long sleeved shirt and dark trousers – in a bout of a ‘late night agenda’ as the title suggests. Though obscurity shrouds the monochromatic picture with the subjects’ faces unrevealed, the viewer is faced with a psychological encounter concluding that some clandestine affair is about to take place. Ahmad Zakii Anwar employs film noir technique to achieve optimum cinematic effect in this piece, created in the same year as his iconic Kota Sepi series (2012), which was an extension of an equally mysterious Kota Sunyi series (2007). The realist artist first appeared as a full-time painter in the 1990s with his Still Life series followed by depiction of erotic fruits and vegetables. He gained recognition with his legendary Smoker series that started in 1995. Agenda Larut Malam was displayed at a group exhibition titled Suarasa alongside works by fellow UiTM alumnus namely Datuk Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir, Awang Damit Ahmad, Tajuddin Ismail, Ramlan Abdullah, Jamil Mat Isa, Jalaini Abu Hassan, Bayu Utomo Radjikin, Daud Abdul Rahman to name a few.
A graduate of Graphic Design from the Mara Institute of Technology in 1977, Ahmad Zakii Anwar left his successful advertising career in pursuit of becoming a full-time artist. He 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 making him a master of Urban Realism. 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 program hosted by Baik Art in Jeju Island, Korea in October 2013.
REFERENCE
Props at Work, Ooi Kok Chuen, The Star, 26 August 2012.
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