Latiff Mohidin (b. 1941) is Malaysia’s leading modernist painter and poet. This exhibition traces a formative period in his practice during the from 1964 to 1969 as he embarked on numerous life-changing journeys across British Malaya as a young boy, to Europe and later Southeast Asia.

Latiff Mohidin coined the phrase “Pago Pago” to evoke the consciousness that emerged through these travels. It was a way of thinking and working that sought to challenge the dominance of Western modernism at the time, and led Latiff Mohidin to explore a unique approach to form in his painting and poetry. He often asked himself, “How does one advance the medium of painting, drawing and writing to suit circumstances outside Europe and America?”

Presenting over 80 artworks, the exhibition features sketches, paintings, sculptures, prints and poetry alongside rare photographs from the personal archives of Latiff Mohidin. The exhibition also presents a special selection of artworks that Latiff Mohidin developed between 1949 and 1954 when he lived in Kampong Glam, Singapore.

Venue: National Gallery Singapore, Level 4

When: 27 Mar - 27 Sep 2020,

By: National Gallery Singapore