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15 October 2021 – RIP Sarkasi Said

It is with great sadness that we learnt of the passing of Cultural Medallion awardee and internationally renowned batik artist Sarkasi Said (aka Tzee). Pak Sarkasi, who was 81 and about to become a great-grandfather, died peacefully at his home last night, of kidney failure.

The late Sarkasi Said had been active as an artist for more than five decades and was lauded for his deployment of the batik technique to create artworks which ranged from the representational to the abstract. His explorations of and experimentations with the traditional wax resist technique led to a mastery of the medium that he deployed to great effect – creating large-scale complex compositions that exploited the fluidity of batik lines and the decorative elements of traditional batik motifs.

We recall vividly our visit to the NUS Museum in 2017 for the exhibition, Always Moving: the Batik Art of Sarkasi Said and can think of no better way to honour the master artist than by sharing some of the images from the show.

Sarkasi Said, Movement, 2000
Sarkasi Said, Marine Forest, 2000
Sarkasi Said, Celebration, 2000

Feature image of the late Sarkasi Said, courtesy of Esplanade Singapore.