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About Ismail Latiff
Born in Melaka in 1955, Ismail Latiff studied at MARA Institute of Technology (UiTM), graduating with a Diploma in Art and Design in 1979. That same year, he received the Frank Sullivan Award at Salon Malaysia, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur — an early recognition of his emerging talent.
His work is rooted in the abstract tradition, built around richly layered acrylics and a signature compositional device: a luminous circle or arc at the centre of the canvas, which he uses as a symbol of balance and universal harmony. His paintings — often described as dreamscapes — are populated with swirling, confetti-like forms that suggest floating, meditative movement drawn from folklore and the natural landscape.
Since his first solo exhibition in Kuala Lumpur in 1984, Ismail has developed a body of work spanning several celebrated series, including Tioman Biru, Magic in the Sky (2005), and Come Fly With Me (2008). His paintings are held in the permanent collection of the National Art Gallery Malaysia and have been exhibited internationally over a career of more than four decades.