Zulkifli Yusoff (1962) was born in Kedah, Malaysia. He graduated from Institut Teknologi MARA (ITM) and later attained a Masters in Fine Art at Manchester Polytechnic, United Kingdom. Currently lecturing in UiTM, he works with various media and has played an important role in developing installation art in Malaysia. Zulkifli's works are mostly based on folklores, histories and politics. He has participated in exhibitions locally and abroad namely in Hong Kong, Japan, Germany and the United Kingdom. 'Durian and Whiskey 2' is part of the series of works which are based on Sir Frank Swettenham's 'Malay Sketches', a publication of his experiences in Malaya in 1895. Zulkifli, however, retold the stories from a local's perspective, highlighting social concerns. Here, the well-known myth regarding the toxic outcome when alcohol and the durian fruit are consumed together, with the subtle suggestions of how whiskey, which represents the Europeans, and the durian, as the Malays, do not mix well.
