Latiff Mohidin's Pago Pago Exhibition at National Gallery Singapore Explores Southeast Asian Modernism

The 'Pago Pago' exhibition at National Gallery Singapore showcases over 80 pieces by Malaysian modernist painter and poet Latiff Mohidin, running until 27 September 2020. This collection explores Mohidin's Pago Pago theme, which emerged in the late 1950s and 1960s as a Southeast Asian reaction to Western modernism. Born in 1941 in Seremban, Malaysia, Mohidin's studies in West Berlin exposed him to Cubism and Futurism. His journeys influenced his art, merging natural elements with architectural forms, evident in works such as Pagoda i i (1964) and Pago Pago ii (1965). The term Pago Pago reflects inspirations from traditional Minangkabau carvings and artifacts, with notable pieces like Karam (1964) and Untitled (Neo Pago Pago) (1971) emphasizing his critique of Western artistic dominance.