The obvious question on everybody’s mind on seeing the title emblazoned in Jawi script on top would be: “Who’s Ah Poon?” And then, “Why Ah Poon?” What’s him to the major figurative artist, Jalaini Abu Hassan, did he short-change or cheat him or is this an off-handed tribute, what with the garish red backdrop. Yes, we are only told that he is a contractor, but why is he featured in Jalaini Abu Hassan’s painting, and in a “loaded” and later controversial exhibition, M50, at Whitebox Publika in 2013. Why is a set of plier placed close to Ah Poon’s ear on the right? Ah Poon, by the looks of it, doesn’t cut a figure as your neighborhood uncle or a good Samaritan. He is scruffy, has uneven teeth, his chin bristles and he’s smirking while pointing a finger back at him. Maybe, the consignor knows the real story, as the artist would have whispered the secret to his ear. Jai has a double Masters in Painting from the Slade School of Fine Art, London (1988) and the Pratt Institute, New York (1994) after his BFA at the Mara ITM in 1985. His first solos were abroad, Malaysia Hall in London (1987), and for drawing, New Gallery in New York (1994), before his home solo at ITM in 1996. Although it was his Lifeform solo at Taksu Kuala Lumpur in 1996 that saw a “repackaged” Jai, he was already making waves when he won the Major Award in the Young Contemporary Artist (BMS) competition in 1985 and followed this up with the Gold Award in the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank art competition in 1991. His other accolades include the 1st Prize in the Murray Hill drawing competition in New York in 1994 and the Rado Switzerland commission in 2005.