Alnukhitha (Captain) Abdulla bin Ahmed Al-Khal

This artwork references an event that occurred in late 1942 – early 1943 when Captain Abdullah bin Ahmad Al-Khal's boom (a medium-sized dhow) was attacked by a German submarine in the Indian Ocean. Al-Khal was on a business trip to Nibar in India to import goods when his ship was torpedoed. After a few days lost at sea in a small lifeboat, he and his men were rescued. Al-Zaini presents a visual narrative that emphasises the role of the captain, who is portrayed in the foreground with an intense gaze, leaning his head against his hand to emphasise his wisdom and heroism. In the middle ground we see Al-Khal giving instructions to his men rowing the rescue boat as his dhow burns and sinks. In the background we see the German submarine and the sinking Kuwaiti ship, which was also torpedoed by the submarine. Unlike many of al-Zaini's representational works, which depict scenes in a 'closed frame', this work is created in an open space, evoking the vast expanse of the ocean. Although it documents different moments in the sequence of events in a static manner, the convergence of forms and brushstrokes creates a dramatic effect that emphasises the overwhelming chaos of the attack.