Contemplation in blue

"Fundamentally, Zakii's figures elucidate his personal meditations on spirituality and the infinite power of the soul. They play upon the canvas as an extension of his intimate quest through darkness for transcendence and absolute illumination. Yet, we easily recognize the quest as our own; it is at once ethereal and timeless. And it becomes all the more personal for us as a result of Zakii's minimalist composition, which strips away all non-essential elements. we inevitably examined our mirrored selves, realizing that though we have journeyed long and mightily, we continued to tread, not in heaven, but along the razor's edge of the mundane, material world. We remain in darkness, forever summoned by our possibilities." (Barbara Greene, 'Presence', Ahmad Zakii Anwar, Babara Greene Fine Art, New York, 1999, p. 6.)

Zakii's early preoccupation with the vast, dark and ambiguous terrains in juxtaposition with the human figures continues in the present work. The engulfing darkness on the canvas primarily mythifies the ambience and more importantly, it suggests a sense of ambiguity and uncertainty. This intended sense of ambiguity exudes a potent sense of infinite possibilities, as the artist explains "... you know I have this thing for sofas, a certain fascination if you like. A good sofa envelops the sitter, like a womb. Within a canvas its immense volume translates into a macrocosm of subtle possibilities. In this particular case the sofa symbolizes a spiritual retreat. Within its ambiguous parameters the sitter sits and contemplates..." (In correspondence with the artist, January 7th 2001)