As one of the first modern artists to highlight the traditional heritage of Wayang Kulit – an ancient form of storytelling, Nik Zainal Abidin's compositions are observations of the puppet theatre characters used to narrate stories derived from philosophical teachings, history, and local legends. This work is an intricate study of shadow puppets, a traditional artform passed down from the northern region of Malaysia. 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."