Art Detail | Ilham Gallery
Samarkhan
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Samarkhan
1993

Latiff’s visit to Samarkand, Uzbekistan incited a collection of remarkable sketches and drawings which he further developed into a series of vivid abstract paintings, such as the one highlighted here. In this particular piece, the blend of blue and chartreuse with black shadows and subtle peeks of red evoke nostalgia for a place within a glorious period—the ancient city, Samarkand. The colours move in a flux preserving Latiff’s signature dynamism demonstrated through his skillful brushwork.

Details
Medium:
Oil on canvas
Dimension:
132 x 173 cm
Date:
1993
Credit Line:
Collection of ILHAM Foundation
Copyright:
© Abdul Latiff Mohidin
About Abdul Latiff Mohidin

Abdul Latiff Mohidin (b. 1941) is a prominent Malaysian modernist artist, writer and poet from Seremban, Negeri Sembilan. As a child he was known as “Wonder Boy” and “the magical boy with the gift in his hands” due to his prodigious talent and early artistic acumen. He completed his primary education at Kota Raja Malay School in Singapore where he also had his first exhibition in 1951. From 1960-1964, Latiff studied art at Hochschule fur Bildende Kunste (Academy of Fine Arts) in Berlin, Germany on a scholarship. A journey across Southeast Asia in 1964 would later inspire an array of esteemed artworks and series which melded his European experience with his cultural identity. His series, Pago-Pago (1960-1969), Mindscape (1973, 1974-1983), Langkawi (1976-1980) and Gelombang (1985-1993) are known for their distinctive representation of culture, nature, the environment and mysticism. His masterful technique and use of dynamic brush strokes, textured oil paint and vibrant colours mark his works with an identifiable Latiff flair. He has exhibited worldwide, including solo exhibitions in Berlin, Frankfurt, Bangkok, Singapore, New Delhi, New York, Sydney, Osaka, Montreal, Manila, Jakarta, Dublin and London to name a few. In 2018, he became the first Southeast Asian artist to be featured at the Centre Pompidou in Paris. The artist now resides in Penang.

Source: Wikipedia

Further Readings
  • T.K Sabapathy, Latiff Mohidin Rimba Series, Galeri PETRONAS, Kuala Lumpur, 1998.