Saturday, March 10, 2012

Beauty of My Country, Brunei

By Abang Jit Manis

The spirit patriotism is not only demonstrated with flag hoisting and participation in mass parades but also through one's creativity in the form of art.

This was proven to be true during a recent art exhibition at The Empire Hotel and Country Club.

The exhibition, which was held in conjunction with Brunei Darussalam's 28th National Day celebration, was organised by Ratna Dina Arif Art Gallery with cooperation from The Empire Hotel & Country Club, as well as the Ministry of Culture, Youth & Sports.

Carrying the theme "Negara Ku Brunei Darussalam" ("My Country, Brunei Darussalam"), the exhibition was participated by 17 artists and some 100 paintings were featured.

Among those who signed up for the exhibition were Hj Padzil, Pg Mohd Roslan, Zakaria Omar, Osman Omar, Suhaili Omar, Kassim Ismail, Hj Rosli Kadir and Pg Saifin.

Various techniques were used by the artists to create their masterpieces such as oil, pastel, acrylic, charcoal and more. There were also several unique Jawi calligraphy artworks by Helmil, a local artist.

Meanwhile, other artists like Hj Osman Mohamad and Kassim Ismail decided to draw Brunei's famous Water Village, Kampong Ayer, by pen.

Hj Padzil, whose paintings of Kampong Ayer caught the attention of tourists at The Empire Hotel & Country Club, said: "The response for the exhibition was overwhelming, attracting students, art lovers, the public and tourists from Spain and Australia.

"The tourists love paintings of sceneries of Brunei such as the Kampong Ayer, Kuala Belalong greenery, water taxis of Kampong Ayer and the capital.

"The main aim of the Ratna Dina Art Gallery is not only to display paintings but also to give opportunity to other artists especially the young ones to display their artworks.

"This golden opportunity is actually rare, therefore, the young artists should grab this opportunity to highlight their artistic talents here."

Hj Padzil plans to hold a series of exhibitions throughout 2012.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin Weekend
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