Nik Zainal Abidin is a pioneering artist who transformed the Ramayana and Mahabharata folklores of wayang kulit onto modern painting. A traditional art form central to Javanese and Southeast Asian life for centuries, the puppet theatre narrates stories derived from philosophical teachings, lessons of history and local legends. In this work, magical shadow puppets and motifs are intricately depicted. 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."