Seven Bruneian Artists Feature in Exhibition

Batik Print By Zainal Abidin Hj Ibrahim Pictures by BT/Sharleen Othman

VETERAN artist, Khalid Othman (picture) explaining his painting yesterday. He was among a group of seven veteran local artists who were featured at an art exhibition to give the public a glimpse of Brunei's culture and ethnicity through their works.

Some 60 pieces of artworks by seven artists have been put on display at the Main Hall in Panaga Club, Brunei Seria.

Besides Khalid, the other artists are Zainal Abidin Hj Ibrahim, Dr Baharuddin Md Arus, Hj Osman Mohammad, Hj Rahim Ahmad and Dr Zahari Hamidon are veterans in the Brunei art scene and each has his own unique artistic expertise.

The works on display represent several different art techniques including batik painting, oil painting, acrylic painting, sketches and digital prints.

Having already showcased their works in a number of other exhibitions, the group eventually decided upon setting up an exhibition showcasing works that represent the Sultanate's unique culture of different ethnic groups.

Uniting their works under the singular theme of "Brunei Ethnic and Culture", the artists said the pieces show not only the different techniques, but also the culture behind them.

"We want to expose the different motif designs of ethnic groups in the country", said Zainal Abidin who organised the private exhibition. For foreigners, this is one way to expose the local culture, he said.

Khalid Othman who has six pieces of work on display said his artwork focused on the the study of movement and features sceneries from Tasik Merimbun and Temburong.

Zainal said he especially wanted youths to see the exhibition as "it is during youth that you develop your ideas of expression".

" This is especially for the youth who are fast forgetting the culture, we want to highlight to them," he added.

The art exhibition which was officially opened to the public yesterday will end today. It is open from 10am until 6pm.

Visitors, particularly budding artists and art aficionados, will have the opportunity to interact and discuss with the artists regarding the works during the exhibition.

According to the artists, their next exhibition will be in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which will feature new works with a different theme.

The Brunei Times
http://www.bt.com.bn/news-national/2011/06/26/seven-bruneian-artists-feature-exhibition

The Traditional Baju Melayu, kain Sinjang

Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam - Brunei-made Sinjang, a short-sarong worn over the men's traditional "Baju Melayu", is usually made from a woven material that still preserves its traditional make with the Brunei motifs as its design. However, a local entrepreneur has introduced a new innovative idea for the sinjang, by producing a Brunei batik sinjang made from cotton material. He is Awang Zainal Abidin Hj Ibrahim, owner of Batik Desamas, that is known for producing Brunei batik materials for men's and women's wear.

Awang Zainal Abidin Hj Ibrahim first came up with the idea to produce Brunei batik sinjang using cotton material, after receiving feedbacks and encouragement from his customers especially the men who want to keep the sinjang with the Brunei traditional cultural attire, that suits the person who wear it, and that is practical and easy to maintain compared to other kinds of fabric such as silk and woven material. He still preserves the Brunei design in producing his batik by using the same motifs found on the Brunei woven cloths apart from experimenting on the use of local plants for his designs.

According to Awang Zainal Abidin Hj Ibrahim, he received encouraging response from the local customers whenever he showed the samples of the cotton material with the new designs he created for the sinjang. Many of his customers urged him to increase his production with further improved material and design quality. He adopted the new idea for the sinjang as it is something that reflects the beauty of the Brunei traditional culture.

Awang Zainal Abidin said he felt proud when the batik with the Brunei traditional designs he produced were welcomed not only by the local community but also at the international market. He began promoting the Brunei batik sinjang through Expos and Art Exhibitions in and outside the country and had also marketed them two months ago. He is currently producing the designs for the Brunei Batik Sinjang using the digital technology that does not need too much manpower.

Aside from that, he combines his skill as a batik designer with the computerised technique that has assisted him greatly in producing his new product in the required quantity. Batik sinjang costs 60 dollars and above a piece and are available at the Batik Desamas at the Sumbangsih Mulia Building. Currently, Awang Zainal Abidin says he puts out about 15 to 20 designs on 100 metres of cloth, from which he can produce about 30 to 40 pieces of material for the sinjang.

source :

http://m.melayuonline.com/eng/news/read/12132/brunei-made-sinjang-a-traditional-baju-melayu

Funding Issue Hampers Batik Export Dreams

GAUGING from the interest expressed by foreign buyers, a batik textile entrepreneur is hoping to expand into the export market with additional funding from government sources. Without this extra financial assistance, Zainal Abidin Hj Ibrahim said he would not be able to meet demand although the business is export ready.

Batik prints from Batek Desamas. Pictures: Courtesy of Batek Desamas

Bringing in a bit of modernity and maintaining quality standards is helping the proprietor of Batik Desamas maintain his share of the niche market of batik textiles. With two months to go before his new designs are launched, the entrepreneur is confident he will be able to make the sales. To meet the demands of foreign buyers, however, Zainal said the business needs extra funding. 

In an interview with The Brunei Times, he said, "The demand is there; the people outside especially, (they are interested by the ) uniqueness of design and probably, they can see the difference in the design (compared to) other countries." 

He added, working with the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources (MIPR) has enabled him to gain more exposure to foreign markets; but with increased interest comes the challenge of supplying beyond his current capacity. "The response was good (from foreign buyers) but this is only in terms of the demonstration, not selling," he said. "What I can see (however) is the demand, the opportunities." 

His outlet is located in Sumbangsih Mulia Building, Gadong but Zainal also has a space to sell his products at the Cruise Ship Centre in the Muara Port Terminal, giving him exposure to tourists, particularly European passengers. "They buy some of my material, so that is how I can evaluate (whether) they like the quality. To me it's quite interesting, because they went to so many places in the country, and of course they are very familiar with the material (and) what they want."

A majority of his customers say they are drawn to the quality of his batik products, he said.

He noted that the business hasn't made any "positive transactions" yet in terms of European foreign exports, but there are enquiries about price and how the designs differ from other batik products. Because he is operating in such a limited niche market, Zainal admits that in relative terms, his sales volumes may be mistaken for lack of good business. "I don't do volume, because my strength is quite limited so of course (with) the financing, I'm quite limited in that, I do whatever I can afford. But hopefully if I get help from other sources, probably, the production can increase." 

The businessman is now looking to experiment with new fabrics, in the hopes that international and regional buyers will be caught by the batik 'bug'. 

Zainal said that he is now experimenting with a new type of cotton that has textural qualities akin to silk. "The cotton that I use ... will be more interesting; the material is outsourced from Europe," he said, adding that he was also "quite interested to see it, because I've never seen it before". 

"When I bought this material, and I tried to make my product into the batik (and) it looks quite interesting. I'm really quite surprised. That's why I feel, if (this product is) already in the market, it would be sellable - this would be something people are looking for and it's suited to the community here in Brunei." While the imported material would add to his costs, Zainal is confident he can make the necessary adjusments in other areas. The important thing right now is to plan for expansion into the export market. 

The Brunei Times
http://www.bt.com.bn/business-national/2010/06/13/funding-issue-hampers-export-dreams