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. ‘Plant Life, Thailand’ represents a critical development of Latiff’s sketches in the Pago-Pago series. It rests in the midst of his analytical study of plant life particularly ‘Rumpair, Kuala Lumpur’ and his series of iconic assemblies of the upright totemic structures which commonly appear towards the end of the Pago-Pago series. The familiarity of the lightly brushed strokes, layered with darker pigments resonates with the dual modes of viewing. Attributes of difference from the iconic totemic structures are: the widely spread structures, less visibility of the interlocking system and a reduction of sharp energy movements.
