Zaini (b.1926 – d.1977)
Boat,1969

Oil on canvas

For Zaini, the boat is more than a vessel upon the sea- it is a means of expressing an inner state of being. Reduced to an almost indistinct form, the image invites viewers to look beyond its physical appearance and enter a quiet, poetic space of contemplation.
 

By the late 1960s, Zaini had developed the lyrical abstraction that became his signature style. Through delicate brushwork and softly dissolving forms, he evokes silence, longing, and spirituality rather than literal description. Simple subjects such as boats became points of departure for reflecting on humanity's relationship with nature, life, and the wider cosmos. The painting entered the Museum of Fine Arts collection through a donation by Adam Malik in 1976.