LOT 3
ABDUL LATIFF MOHIDIN
B. N. Sembilan, 1941
Samarkhan Series, 1990
Signed and dated “Samarkhan Latiff 90” on lower right
Mixed media on paper
29 x 40 cm
Provenance Private Collection, Kuala Lumpur
Illustrated in the soon to be published “777, Celebrating 7 Illustrious Years at KLAS” coffee table book published by KLAS in February 2019
RM 20,000 – RM 40,000
Under the spotlight is a gem by abstract art maestro Abdul Latiff Mohidin from his Samarkhand series. Latiff is known for his art of painting, printmaking and sculptures as well as his poetry and books on aesthetics. Compared to the artist’s other works, the ‘Samarkhan Series’ is more muted and is predominantly painted using earthy tones. Here, Latiff portrays his rendition of the ‘jewel’ of Islamic central Asia. The organic forms are rendered masterfully in an effortlessly balanced composition set in a landscape format. Latiff 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.