In this charming still life the contrasts of forms and colours are elegant and subtle, yet a quiet strength is found beneath the surface. A chili placed on top of an aubergine is rendered in Zakii’s iconic composition of minimal objects and delicate painting techniques. The acclaimed still life series attests to Zakii’s skill at rendering the basic forms and tactile qualities of simple objects and specific textures. Filled with sensual emotion, atmospheric effects of light and shadow, this work is a superior example from the artist’s acclaimed oeuvre. Ahmad Zakii Anwar graduated in Graphic Design at the Mara Institute of Technology in 1977. After a successful stint in Advertising where his clients included the Singapore Tourism Board and the Singapore Airlines, he decided to be a fine artist and paints fulltime. A series of memorable solos led to the Disclosure exhibition at Galeri Petronas, Kuala Lumpur in 2008, a timely mid-career survey. In 2007, he was invited by the Singapore Tyler Print to do a series of prints. Zakii had solos in the United States (Barbara Green FA in 1999 and Andreshire Gallery in 2011), Indonesia, Hong Kong and Singapore, etc.