| Lyna Mohamad |
THE 4th Vibe Identity Art and Design Exhibition was officially launched at the Mabohai Shopping Complex yesterday, by guest of honour Legislative Council member Yang Berhormat Iswandy bin Ahmad.
Organised by the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of the Kolej International Graduate Studies (KIGS), the week-long event serves primarily to exhibit and share the students’ unique creativity, while inspiring other creative minds.
The launching ceremony began with a recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah and Doa, followed with a welcoming speech by CEO of KIGS Dr Azaharaini bin Haji Mohd Jamil.
“Part of the objective of this event is to provide a platform for the students to receive public feedback regarding their artwork,” he said. “This is helpful for them to grow from apprentices of arts and design into professional artists and designers.”
Several experienced artists and designers have been invited to participate in the exhibition, making it an ideal venue for the students to refine their crafts and perspectives.
“The exhibition can be seen as a way of improving the quality of their artwork, along with the creativity and capacity to innovate with the types of exhibits to be presented, including product design, painting and installation and a puppet show on Brunei folklore,” said Dr Azaharaini.
He pointed out that the event is made public for the first time as an acknowledgement of the importance of the creative industry for Brunei’s economy.
“KIGS believes that the more familiar the students are with the establishment of exhibition venues outside the college’s environment, the better informed they are in terms of applying their creativity to flourish in the local art market,” he said.
“With the role of arts and design changing radically, the arts are no longer seen as just a painting and exhibition format, but have become event-centred just like performance art.”
More than 30 students are participating in the exhibition, with 17 Diploma students from the Graphic Design Technology programme and 15 from the Arts and Design programme.
The launching ceremony concluded with a tour of the exhibition by the guest of honour who also took time to give some words of motivation and support to the participating students.