Latiff Mohidin (b.1941) is regarded as one of Malaysia's most important painters, if not the most important, in the 20th century. Growing up in Singapore in his younger days, the artist hailed as the 'boy wonder' held his first solo exhibition at the tender age of 12 years old at the Kota Raja Malay School in 1951. He then went on to continue his education in Malaysia before heading over to Berlin to further his art education. His exposure to the European art movements like the Abstract Expressionists informed his subsequent artistic style. However it was his travels through the Southeast Asia region that consolidated his practice and gave birth to his iconic series of works like the Pago-Pago, Mindscape, etc. Through his extensive travels, he was able to capture its raw landscapes and architecture, subsequently creating an important visual language for Abstraction in this region. This collection of 62 works on paper is integral to our understanding of Latiff Mohidin's long artistic career. For most artists, drawings and sketches are often seen as preparatory in nature or works-in-progress. However for Latiff, these drawings are more often than not, complete works by themselves. Drawing has always been a prominent feature in his practice and continues to be his preoccupation. Known as the quintessential artist-traveller, these series of drawings offer the viewers a window into Latiff's journeys, both geographically and metaphorically.
