Sarkasi Said also known as Tzee, (1940) was born in Singapore and is a self-taught artist who has strived far and wide in an unquenchable thirst for the discovery and knowledge of batik. He has travelled to the various states in Malaysia as well as to the central Javanese cities of Solo and Yogyakarta in pursuit of the batik cultural flame - seeking out practitioners of the art. Sarkasi has developed a distinctive style with the resist-and-dye technique - one that made up most of his oeuvres, which convey roaring forces and movements.'Fish', a monochromatic batik painting exhibited in Singapore Festival of Arts in 1978, is indicative of Sarkasi's inclination towards abstraction - an expressive and meticulous interpretation of lines and patterns depicting a fish. Sarkasi uses the direct, multi-layering, cracking and table method to achieve the web-like effect at designated areas. The minimal usage of colour and intricacy of the form strike a well-balanced composition.
