THE best art exhibition is the one where viewers can "journey" with the artist. This is true in the case of artist Mohammed Zaki Zakaria, who is having his first solo exhibition entitled "Rupatimur" at Balai Berita’s main lobby till Jan 27.

Viewers will be taken on a journey of his life, from his childhood to adulthood.

Born in Besut in Terengganu, Mohammed Zaki graduated in architecture from a local polytechnic. He worked as a technician before he became a full-time artist in 1993.

Mohammed Zaki’s sojourn as a full-time artist encouraged him to revisit his hometown and re-connect with his past.

"Whenever I go back to my hometown, I will equip myself with a pen and pad so that I can make a rough sketch of anything that catches my eye, or anything that interests me," he said. Each painting takes between a week and a month, depending on the size and the complexity of the scenery."

In "Rupatimur", one is taken on a visual feast of scenes from his early days. You can almost feel the sweat off the brows of the fishermen just by looking at his creations.

Mohammed Zaki’s creativity merges the panorama with the flora and fauna in Terengganu.

He also manages to capture the unique features of traditional buildings and highlights the ethnic elements hidden behind them.

"Rupa means the form or visual that is created while timur is the east coast which I grew up in. It also represents the region of Southeast Asia that encompasses all the elements reflected in my painting," he said of the theme.

There are about 45 pieces of paintings on display with prices ranging from RM250 to RM5,000.

Balai Berita is at 31 Jalan Riong, Kuala Lumpur. Viewing hours are from 10am-6pm (Monday-Saturday). Admission is free.

For information, call 03-2282-3131 (ext 2475/2575/2592).