This is one of only two works recorded to have been done by Dato' Hoessein Enas in 1981. After a coronary bypass in London, he had stopped painting until 1982, but somehow got to paint two works, not the more elaborate oil, but this portrait in pastel on paper and another called Suci Murni in watercolour on paper. He had been recorded to have said he had lost hope of picking up the brushes again after the operation, but this 1981 work showed his determination and love for art conquered all. He was back with a vengeance in 1983 when commissioned to paint then Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud and his family, and Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. The portrait of Tina, who looked pre-teen and in simple tees, is done with such loving affection. He was quoted to have said: “As a portrait painter, I feel the need to interpret the silent, latent and unstated characteristics of my chosen subject, as well as to analyse and bring to life hidden emotions and thoughts beneath the surface.”   One of the most prominent Malaysian pioneer artists, Indonesian-born Dato' Hoessein Enas founded the Angkatan Pelukis Semenanjung (later SeMalaysia) which set the figurative tradition in the Merdeka years. He was granted Malaysian citizenship in 1956, the year he was commissioned by Shell Malaysia for The Malaysians portrait project. The Sultan of Selangor made him Royal Portrait Artist in 1990 and the next year, conferred the Dato' title on him. He was accorded a Retrospective by the National Art Gallery in 1966. His awards included fellowships from UNESCO (1960) and the United States (1968), Asia Foundation grant (1960) and the Colombo Plan (1968).