Khalil Ibrahim’s ode to the fishermen back on shore with their catches, whether on acrylic, watercolours or even batik, is legion, but this one is an eyebrow raiser. Taking virtually centrestage is a svelte physique of a woman in a red dress with the hem well above the knee, back turned to viewer, barefooted and helping out probably untangling some invisible nets. The woman is obviously young, maybe one of the fishermen’s nubile daughter, instead of Khalil’s usual repertoire of older makcik in sarong helping to sort out and sell the fishes. There is a lot of activity as seen by the well-accentuated shadowy figures ‘moving’ behind. This is certainly one of the best such fishermen compositions around, not because of the young woman, but the judicious play of colours, deep-set and nuanced. Khalil Ibrahim’s mastery of anatomy showed in the fishermen painting that won the 2nd Prize in the Malayan Life national art competition sponsored by Lever Brothers in 1959. But it was at the St Martin’s School of Art and Design in London (on Pahang State government scholarship) that his skills were honed. There, he also produced some of his best abstracts. One of the most remarkable southpaws in art, he turned fulltime on his return in September 1966, but had his first double solos, of his batik and watercolours (at Samat Art Gallery, KL) in 1970, the year he became the first Malaysian artist to have exhibited in Indonesia. His major exhibitions include Khalil Ibrahim: The Art Journey in Petaling Jaya (2015), and Khalil Ibrahim: A Continued Dialogue at Galeri Petronas in 2004. He is also the co-founder Malaysian Watercolour Society.