Image size: 16.6 x 11.2 cm
Latiff Mohidin, born in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia in 1941 completed his primary education in Singapore. While in Singapore, at an early age, Latiff’s precocity in understanding paintings earned him the nickname, ‘Wonder Boy’. From 1960-1964, Latiff studied art at Hochschule fur Bildende Kunste in Berlin, Germany and did brief residencies in Paris and New York. Inspired by his exploration of Southeast Asia in 1964, Latiff has since produced compelling series of artworks – the result of a synthesis between his European experience and the rediscovery of his homeland. He is also a poet who has published several volumes of poetry. The Langkawi series is a body of work known for its three-dimensionality. Introduced by Latiff as wall sculptures, each artwork is a combination of sculpture and painting. ‘Langkawi (2)’ is a sketch faintly washed with pigments and outlined, that magnifies the sculpture’s symmetries and motifs. It features a double symmetry: left, right, top and bottom, displaying a strong verticality that compels one to look upwards. This directed gaze pulling towards a higher level suggests a quest for spirituality.
