Lot 69
ABDUL LATIFF MOHIDIN
b. Negeri Sembilan, 1941
BLUE SAMARKHAND, 1994
Inscribed ‘Samarkhand’ lower left, signed and
dated ‘Latiff 94’ lower right
Watercolour on paper
27cm x 35cm
PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Kuala Lumpur
ESTIMATE RM 16,000 - 20,000
PRICE REALISED RM 49,500
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This piece with the appellation Samarkhand dated 1994 is a late reprisal of the kind of works from Latiff’s travels of ancient civilisations and communities during the 1960s and early 1970s. Here, the dreamy quality of the artwork comes through in the use of watercolour, exploiting its transparency and fluidity while utilising both dry and wet technique. The fluff and flicks of paint as if blown in the wind provide a misty layer essential for creating the mood of something light and suitable for reverie. Forms are masterfully sculpted with intuitive strokes of various weight and directions, its depth further enhanced with a horizon in the background.
Latiff is known for his art of painting, printmaking and sculptures as well as his poetry and books on aesthetics. He graduated from the German academy, DAAD (Deutscher Akademescher AustGuschdientst) in Bonn 1960. He also took up printmaking courses at the Atelier La Courrier in Paris and the Pratt Institute in New York in 1969. His first major art prize was the 2nd Prize (Graphic) in the 1968 Salon Malaysia. As a writer, he won the Malaysian Literary Awards from 1972 to 1976, the coveted South East Asian Writers Award in Bangkok in 1984, and the National Literary Award in 1984 and 1986. His first solo exhibition at the age of 10 at the Kota Raya Malay School in 1951 earned him the title of ‘boy wonder’ by the local press. He is now regarded as a national treasure and has become one of the leading modern artists in Southeast Asia.
REFERENCE
Pago-Pago to Gelombang: 40 Years of Latiff Mohidin, Singapore Art Museum, 1994
L.I.N.E Latiff Mohidin: From Point To Point by Latiff Mohidin, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, Kuala Lumpur, 1993 (translated by Adibah Amin)
Garis: Works On Paper - From Berlin to Samarkhand, 2005
The Journey to Wetlands, & Beyond, Singapore Art Museum; 2006
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