Warm, brown tones dominate this expressive portrait of a man by M. Zain. Painted using a realist approach, the image is enhanced by the play of light and shadows. The treatment of the background made up of gestural forms, combined with the loose brushwork of the shirt conveys the emotion of the sitter. Though little is known about M. Zain Idris, he was a rare State artist appointed by the Terengganu State Government. The Chief Minister afforded him a studio and residence in Kuala Terengganu, complete with a stipend. As an artist, he was driven by a wanderlust, and often travelled outside the State to paint, Kelantan and even as as far as Kuala Lumpur. Dubbed the Fisherman Artist, Zain had become a full time artist after he was discovered by the pioneer gallerist, art critic cum promoter Frank Sullivan, who even gave him a solo at his Samat Art Gallery. Sullivan was then Press Secretary to Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaya's first prime minister. He had a joint exhibition with Kasim Abas at the Equatorial Hotel KL in 1984, and at the Shangri-La Hotel KL in 1987.