Metamorphosis: Anniketyni Madian, Jaafar Latiff, Meta Enjelita, Khairulddin Wahab

Cuturi Gallery presents Metamorphosis, curated by independent curator and art historian Syed Muhammad Hafiz. The exhibition brings together works by Anniketyni Madian (b. 1986, Malaysia), Meta Enjelita (b. 1994, Indonesia), and Khairulddin Wahab (b. 1990, Singapore) in dialogue with the late Singaporean batik modernist Jaafar Latiff (1937–2007, Singapore). Through new responses to Latiff’s ideas and material experiments, Metamorphosis explores legacy as restless and evolving, highlighting contemporary practices across the Malay Archipelago, where art, craft, and tradition are constantly reimagined.

 

Central to the exhibition is Jaafar Latiff’s lifelong commitment to pushing batik beyond convention. Working on his own terms, he expanded the medium through abstraction, material experimentation, and an unwavering belief in artistic autonomy. His contributions, recognised through major institutional exhibitions and his role as an influential art educator, position him as a pivotal figure in Singapore’s post-independence art history.

 

Responding to Jaafar Latiff’s sustained innovation with batik and abstraction, the invited artists engage with his legacy through both material and conceptual transformation. Anniketyni Madian, known for her abstract sculptural works, draws on Iban folklore and Sarawakian cultural memory, embedding personal and ancestral narratives within universal forms. Latiff’s persistent exploration of abstraction offers a point of departure for her practice, where beneath seemingly universal forms lie traces of identity, heritage, and tradition. Meta Enjelita work explores the entangled matters of materiality, ecological and social structures, and her latest textile-based installation works incorporate stylised Jawi calligraphy inspired by Latiff’s Unspoken Dialogue series. Applying her signature rust-dyeing techniques, her works weave together traditional batik and calligraphic techniques into contemporary installation, giving form to a mutual conversation between art and craft. Khairulddin Wahab’s practice examines post-colonial histories, cultural geography, and environmental narratives. Similarly drawing on cultural narratives surrounding batik traditions, his latest work adds another dimension to his practice, especially after his residency at Lohjinawi, Yogyakarta, towards the end of 2025. Instead of working with his preferred acrylic paints, Khairulddin has decided to adopt batik-inspired techniques for his latest work – a commentary on the spice and nutmeg trade during the colonial era.

 

Together, these new works showcase some of Southeast Asia’s most dynamic young artists, revealing their critical engagement with art history, tradition, and material practice. When viewed alongside Jaafar Latiff’s works, they offer visitors fresh perspectives on his practice. Metamorphosis invites viewers to see Latiff’s ideas not as a closed chapter, but as a living discourse that continues to evolve across generations.

 

Metamorphosiswill be on view at Cuturi Gallery, Singapore, from 17 January to 28 February 2026.