A cigarette between the lips of the face with a bulbous nose adds to a sense of vacuity and a film noir theatricality. In the juxtaposition of a rose, a white horse and a man — God's creations — against the emblematic sickle moon with a cloud in between, it's regarding spiritual unity. A solitary white horse stands below, more like a paper-weight adornment in a Magic Realism insertion rather than a pitch at symbolism, either good or bad. Ahmad Zakii composes works that delve into the darker fringes of society and one's inner psyche and the mystical aura. He has created his own brand of New Urban Realism of Figures, and is also adept at creating layers of meaning in his still-life, interiors and large animal depictions. A graduate in Graphic Design from the Mara Institute of Technology in 1977, he gave up a lucrative career in advertising to become a full time painter and was an instant hit with his Smokers Series in 1997. His solo, Disclosure, at Galeri Petronas, Kuala Lumpur, in 2008, established him as a major figurative artist. His notable foreign solos include Presence (New York, 1999); Shadowland (Hong Kong, 2001); Sublimal (The Philippines and also Thailand, 2006); My Shadow's Shadow (Baik Art, South Korea, 2013); in Indonesia – Borobudur, Amanjiwa, Arangbali (2004), Kota Sunyi (2007), Nafsu (2010); and in Singapore – Paintings Drawings and Prints 1991-2007 (Singapore Tyler Print Institute, 2007), Bones & Sinews (2011), Being (2009), Primordial Dream (2005) and Distant Gamelan (1999). His Kuala Lumpur solos include Kota Sepi (VWFA, 2012), Interpreter Of Desires (Taksu, 2003) and Icons (RKFA, 2005).