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Lot description
In Still Life (1999), Ahmad Zakii Anwar applies the same quiet, psychological intensity to the domestic sphere that defines his celebrated figurative work. Executed during a pivotal decade of his career, this piece showcases Zakii's mastery of "Urban Dark Realism", a style that uses meticulous Western classical techniques to evoke a sense of spiritual or metaphysical mystery. The composition is deceptively simple, often featuring kitchenware or organic subjects like fruits and vegetables. Through a disciplined layering of transparent oil glazes, Zakii achieves a tactile realism that makes the objects appear three-dimensional, yet they remain anchored in a "Rothko-like" void of shadow. This interplay of light and dark, reminiscent of the Dutch masters of chiaroscuro elevates the mundane into a meditative study on presence and absence. For Zakii, a still life is never merely a technical exercise; it is an exploration of rasa (essence or taste), where the object serves as a vessel for deeper contemplation on the human condition and the beauty found in stillness. After graduating with Graphic Design from the Mara Institute of Technology in 1977, Ahmad Zakii had a lucrative career in Advertising but decided to switch to Fine Art. He was an immediate hit with his cool Smokers Series (1997) and his dark vignettes of urban realism. A series of significant solos abroad and at home led to his major mid-career survey exhibition called Disclosure at Galeri Petronas, Kuala Lumpur, in 2008. His solos abroad include Presence (New York, 1999); Shadowland (Hong Kong, 2001); Sublimal (Philippines and also Thailand, 2006); Baik Art (South Korea, 2013); in Indonesia â Borobudur, Amanjiwa, Arangbali (2004), Kota Sunyi (2007), Nafsu (2010); and in Singapore â Paintings Drawings and Prints 1991-2007 (2007), Bones & Sinews (2011), Being (2009), Primordial Dream (2005) and Distant Gamelan (1981). His Kuala Lumpur solos include Kota Sepi (VWFA, 2012), Interpreter of Desires (Taksu, 2003) and Icons (RKFA, 2005).