Pg. Khamarul Zaman was born in 1972. A graphic designer and illustrator at the Language & Literature Bureau by profession, his most accomplished works lean toward semi-abstract expressionism. His artworks have been showcased in exhibitions both locally and abroad covering both exhibitions hosted by ASEAN and European countries from the 1990s till the present day. The most recent was 'Under One Sky' Budayaw Visual Arts Exhibition in Philippines in 2017. In Pause & Rewind, Pg Khamarul showcases two of his artworks, “Sunset Over Long Luang” (2014) and “Muhibah” (2017).
Working with mixed media, he expresses and translates his ideas onto canvas through ink, acrylic, gesso, as well as lacquer on his wood canvas. He also prefers to use his bare fingers to paint rather than to use brushes, and using the technique of ‘splashing’ to create rough textural elements for creating movement in his paintings.
The use of natural elements are prominent throughout his works. In an interview he explained that the reason behind the composition of elements of nature in his paintings to convey his messages is because of his affinity to the forest when he was younger. He would observe the way lights, shadows, sound, and movement in the forest works, caused by both plants and animals, and translates the spirit of the natural environment to his canvas as a medium to convey his messages.
While “Sunset Over Long Luang” captures his emotions as the temuai carries him forth towards a lonely island off the grounds of Tasek Merimbun, Muhibah paints how he celebrates the unity, interdependency, and friendship of the 4 nations under the BIMP-EAGA (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Philippines).
He advises the young artists of Brunei to never give up their passion in the arts, to keep on working with what they believe in and encourages them to find their own artistic identity. Create a masterpiece that is true to their own heart.
For such an impressive and notable artworks, we at Creative Space Art Gallery and Studio are very honoured to be given the opportunity be the platform to host two of his works in our exhibition Pause and Rewind.
Pause & Rewind marks the beginning of a new initiative by Creative Space that is in line with their mission to record, conserve, and preserve Brunei’s Art-Culture heritage, alongside their project such as ‘EMERGE’ which focuses on Brunei’s young and emerging artists. This exhibition runs from Sunday 7th January 2018 to Saturday 24th February 2018, paying homage to 26 works of art by 5 veteran artists produced from 1980 to 2017.