Ronnie Mohamad, nee Hairani Mohamad, has been painting since he was 17, specializing in figures using charcoal, which he finds more natural and better to express anatomy, poses and gestures, and movement. It also gives the work a raw finish. In this work of a silat exponent, based on someone in his 70s whom he met in Terengganu, he recalled being impressed by the old man’s shape and nimbleness, which could only come through the discipline of practice after practice. This is also the spirit of how he sees a nation and its people should chart the course, with purposeful and determined structured plans. He shows the silat exponent, keris at the waist-folds of his sarong, strike a pose that is defensive, but poised to attack with a spring. Although self-taught, Ronnie exudes the same kind of discipline in achieving a standard that is satisfactory but keeps improving. He first emerged in the solo exhibition, An Exploration, at Purplehouz Gallery, Petaling Jaya, in 2013. The year, 2016, proved a high point for him, for he got to take part in the Hong Kong Art Fair and Tourism Malaysia’s promotion in Helsinki, Finland.