LOT 3
NIK RAFIN
B. Selangor, 1974
Boats in Venice, 2006
Signed and dated “Raf 06” on lower right
Watercolour on paper
9.5 x 16 cm
Provenance Private Collection, Kuala Lumpur
RM 320 – RM 450
Remaining true to the title, this piece exudes serenity from the top to the bottom. Nik Rafin, despite being trained in photography, clearly has a flair for watercolour as well. With cool colours, he creates a tranquil atmosphere out of a humble fishing village and it is as if the viewer is right at that place just by viewing this piece. One can almost see and feel the boats lightly bouncing due to the water current, the stillness of the air save for a gust of wind every now and then as well as the green hills in the distance, accompanied by a clear, calm sky. The realness of this piece is even more plausible as one glances at the waters – the accurate, detailed and careful reflections in the moving waters. This piece somehow, feels like home.
Nik Rafin studied Advanced Photography in the USA and pursued a Minor in Fine Arts at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. He was an illustrator for Milwaukee’s newspaper, The Marquette Tribune, before Walt Disney offered him a seven-year contract to work as a graphic designer and illustrator. However, he turned it down after his father insisted he return home and contribute to Malaysia instead.