On offer here, the artist drew the great Mexican muralist Orozco in his usual style. For all his redoubtable skills on paper and canvas, Professor Zakaria Ali had few solos, including the third being his Retrospective (1971-1999) at The Art Gallery in Penang on Jan 31-Feb 13, 1999. It says much that his first solo was at the Pan Art Gallery, Fondren Square, Houston in 1969! Then followed a solo on his return, in 1982, at the Universiti Sains Malaysia, where he taught for many years before moving on to Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and then Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris in Tanjung Malim. His credentials are impeccable, with a double Masters: BFA Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, Massachusetts; Masters (Art) Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas, 1973; Masters (Art History), Universidad de las Americanas, Mexico (1974); PhD Harvard University (1984-1988). He was awarded the Tokoh Novel in 2006. His books include Empangan and Villa Maya (both novels); Islamic Art In Southeast Asia (1994); Alif Ba Ta: The Life and Times of Ahmad Khalid Yusof (2004); and Abdullah Ariff.