Situated behind a slew of shops, the roads lead to Creative Space in Sengkurong is mazy and confusing. For first time visitors you have to navigate slowly, going over unexpected potholes, finding yourself suddenly going the wrong way, checking Google Maps in disbelief at the location. The space is snugly situated in the commercial area, where you would usually find a major gallery in a fashionable arts district surrounded by chic cafes and pierced art graduates, Creative Space is near an SKH department store where bulk prices are de jure and patrons park awkwardly to get in and out efficiently. Narrow stairs lead up to the exhibition space where artwork is allowed to breathe, away from the disorder outside. The Emerge project is as distinct as the space; A breathing space for Bruneian art.
When the Creative Space welcomed the handful of friends and family to the first Emerge exhibition in April 2016, the budding creative industry was shyly making it’s voice heard. The industry finds itself now in a state of confidence fully realizing missions and goals; Creative Core, Kaleidoscope Studio, Sutera Memento, Bruhaha, Songket Alliance, Polytone Music, Foreven1ne, The Collective to name a few, each with a defined sense of passion and vigor are pushing the creative industry forward. In the short space of three years Creative Space moved together with the industry gliding from the vaguely entitled exhibitions on “Synesthesia” towards a reflection of Bruneian identity, culture and race with “Folklore”, “Warisan” and “Stereotype”. The conversations surrounding the creative industry grew as well with the “Pause & Connect: Connecting generations through art” and the “Breaking Boundaries” panel discussion. While around Brunei NGO’s and youth groups, such as Big BWN Project, the Brunei Young Leaders’ Convention opened up conversations and encouraged a flexing of critical skills. Workshops hosted by Creative Space not only focused on conceptual developments skills, core practical skills could also be developed through with watercolor exploration classes, beginners drawing classes, while Benchlab provided creative skills training in other key areas.
The latest Emerge exhibition Emerge Exclusive: A Retrospective Exhibition has grown from the renewed confidence in the creative industry. Emerge Exclusive briefed the artists with “Being Bruneian”, which challenged the artists to reflect on the current industry, but also provides a landmark for artists of where they are with their artistic practise. The selection of artists currently at the retrospective are not a full account of the 52 individuals that have showcased their work through the Emerge project. There isn’t enough exhibition space at the moment for the illustrators, handicrafts, photographers, painters, sculptures, conceptual artists and graphic designers to exhibit their work.
UBD graduate Wan Mayang exhibited “Si Sumpit” during the first Emerge exhibition and has her work exhibiting in the latest retrospective. Wan Mayang has also displayed “Mutiara”, “Spoon fed - Under pressure” and “Amsara, si Pendekar” under the Emerge project. Traditional folktales usually resigned to illustrations and short stories are now realised as fully formed sculptures made of resin, fiberglass and metal under her creative direction. Wan Mayang’s creative practise full utilizes materials not ordinarily associated with local creative work such as metal, 3D printing and plastics. Her first metalwork piece “Amsara the Rooster” was displayed during the annual UBD Spectacle exhibition. Exhibiting at the first Emerge showcase provides a clear pathway and goal for creatives to take their work from a local higher institution to a locally run gallery. Her sculptural pieces are an indication of the important role of creative thinking with commissions for pesambah and local advertisements. It’s also a testament to the opportunities afforded to local creatives when provided with the correct tools for growth and development.
The work showcased for Emerge has encompassed socially conscious photographic projects such as Michelle Fung’s “More Than A Woman” series. The series is a reflection of the current state of visual communication and the turn towards creating socially aware creative work. In the intervening years since the inception of the Emerge project, photography is the most mature sector of the creative industry spawning multiple wedding companies, film photography interest groups and portraiture as the most dominant genre. Michelle reflects, “in a world saturated with images all over social media of what the ideal woman looks like, it is not a surprise that women have to deal with all kinds of damaging stereotypes daily.” Photography can also been understood for its ability to raise important topics more inline with the political and social awareness found in creative work regionally. Her work also provides a way for familiar creative tools to be used in a new engaging way.
Faizal Hamdan’s ongoing “Talur” conceptual series finds it’s latest iteration in “Talurtaluran”, which displays a carton of 26 eggs balanced on a non-descript black stool. We are reminded of the proximity of the Creative Space of the sprawling supermarket chain SKH where eggs are sold for everyday use. While the clear demarcation of the artwork on the floor (for the safety of the artwork) at the Royal Wharf is similar to the demarcation of the Creative Space’s gallery hidden amidst Sengkurong. The playfulness, maturity and confidence of having the conceptual piece would not have been realised without Emerge. The Emerge project provides a breathing space for local artwork to remain inquisitive, thoughtful and find it’s Bruneian core.
As Faizal writes, “The word ‘talur’ has the versatility, which can be used, in a lot of contexts.” In the same way, the Emerge project has a multitude of meanings. Emerge: to move out to become visible - which the project proudly proclaims to enrich and record the local art culture, to give local artists a way to step out and make themselves known. Emerge: to make more known or prominent - several practitioners are given a platform to amplify their creative endeavours, not only now serving as a platform but as part of a movement with other creative companies, NGOs and societies to fully realise the potential of locals with their creative projects. Finally, Emerge: to recover or survive a difficult situation. The late 2010’s has seen the reclamation of a creative industry that was booming and replete in the post-Independence 80’s-90’s glow which saw a wave of painters, sculptures, musicians, architects and other creative artists. No greater indication of creative industry health than the latest Hari Belia Kebangsaan, themed around creative economies, technology and entrepreneurship. The “Pause and Rewind” project by Creative Space is a reminder of the continual recovery required to remember our creative legacy while “Emerge” is a project to understand our present and provide the future with a clear view of who we are now.
About the Author
Faiq Airudin
Faiq Airudin is a Brunei-based creative who has a strong interest in the development of the creative industries and archiving contemporary Brunei culture. Previous roles include Head of PR for Seeds Brunei (arts society utilizing theatre as an educational tool) and Co-Founder of reading advocacy group Bruneians Read (B:Read). Most recent project is Working Women of Brunei - an independently initiated visual project celebrating the working women of Brunei.