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. In ‘Wayang Kulit Siam III’, Latiff’s swift brushstrokes successfully depict the shadow puppets’ performative gestures. As ambivalent as it seems, this work challenges the viewers in perceiving objects: vague splotches of ink intermingle with the teasingly obvious structure of the shadow puppets. The image portrayed is considered indefinite among the sketches of the Pago-pago series, yet its context is coherent as it manifests Latiff’s search for his cultural and topographical roots.
