Boxers intertwines personal and geographical memory, drawing inspiration from the artist’s father’s love of boxing and a formative moment witnessing Muhammad Ali in Kuala Lumpur—an event marked by souvenir gloves and televised matches. Set in Anum’s studio in Bukit Batong, a landslide-prone area, the painting features a tilted composition with elevated background buildings, reflecting the unstable terrain. The red soil evokes Malaysia’s clay-rich roads, while the sky—based on Australian sunset photos from a friend—resembles thought bubbles, adding a contemplative layer. Visually, the work nods to Henri Rousseau’s The Football Players through stylised anatomy, while its atmosphere recalls the psychological depth of Mamma Andersson and Edvard Munch’s expressive skies.

Boxers weaves together familial narrative, cultural memory, and landscape to examine the relationship between place, identity, and collective imagination. The foreground figures convey tension and performance, set against a physically and metaphorically tilted backdrop that suggests life’s instability and the fragility of memory. Cloud-like thought bubbles in the sky evoke the psychological undercurrents of confrontation and spectacle, inviting reflection on the inner worlds that accompany outward action. Through its surreal composition, nostalgic detail, and rooted sense of place, Anum crafts a contemplative exploration of the stories and terrains we inherit and inhabit.