Singapore Museum Publishes Latiff Mohidin`s Drawings

Garis: Works on Paper by Latiff Mohidin from Berlin to Samarkand

Singapore - Renowned Malaysian artist Latiff Mohidin`s selected drawings of the past four decades have been compiled and reproduced in a book by a Singapore museum.

The book, `Latiff Mohidin: Journey to Wetlands and Beyond`, published by the Singapore Art Museum, contains a collection of 120 drawings from 1962 to 2006 by the Seremban-born Latiff, 68.

Singapore`s National Heritage Board chief executive Michael Koh today launched the book, in conjunction with the exhibition on Latiff`s works at the museum in Bras Basah Road here.

The exhibition was made possible after Latiff`s long-time loyal fan and arts collector Singaporean Yeap Lam Yang donated his collection of Latiff`s 120 drawings to the Singapore Art Museum this year.

The exhibition which also included some of Latiff`s works that have not been exhibited before such as `Guilin`, `Isfahan`, `Samarkhan` and `Bukhara` will run until May 17.

The 160-page book traces the development of Latiff`s practice of his medium from when he was nine and living with his parents at Java Road in Singapore, until present.

Latiff held his first art exhibition at the tender age of 10 at Kota Raja Malay School in Singapore, to which he earned the nickname, `the magical boy with gift in his hands` from the local media.

The book written by National University of Singapore`s Prof T. K. Sabapathy and Singapore Arts Museum Assistant Curator Patricia Levasseur de la Motte also includes his series of works from his early period, namely Pago-Pago, Mindscape, Langkawi, Gelombang and Rimba.

Latiff, born in 1941, and studied art in Berlin, Germany, and did further residences in Paris and New York, has perfected the various techniques of pen, ink, charcoal, pencil and etching for drawing portraits, still life and landscapes.

Latiff is also a poet and a writer who has received honours and awards such as Malaysia`s National Literary Prize and the Southeast Asian`s (S.E.A.) Write`s Award in 1984 in Bangkok. Zakaria Abdul Wahab

Source: http://www.bernama.com (5 May 2009)
Photo: http://www.artsasia.com.my

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