Creative Space Art Gallery and Studio, Brunei

Osveanne Osman, Manager and Curator

How have you been exhibiting art or working with artists in the past year?

In 2020, we postponed nearly half of our calendar, and these projects were then executed in the last quarter. During the six months on pause, we moved all interactions online. This was mainly on Instagram, which has the largest user base in Brunei. We also opened an online shop to generate revenue for artists and to keep the gallery afloat during this difficult period. It is an affordable one-stop-shop for those looking for materials, tools and art.

Early on, we decided to become an avenue to boost morale through art. Our focus was on the post-pandemic days and we wanted to have something prepared for our community when restrictions relaxed. Empowered with a new operating procedure which ensured the safety of our staff and visitors, we opened the exhibition ‘EMERGE 8: Voice’. Then, we took off with the rest of our projects, which included a community project collaboration called ‘The Corner’, which is a physical art hub in the heart of Brunei’s city centre, to reintroduce art to the public.

What are the profiles of the artists you tend to show? Are there specific interests or themes that inform your gallery programme?

Our gallery focuses primarily on promoting local Bruneian artists. We have also hosted expatriate artists and exhibitions where the bodies of work deal with a “Bruneian” premise.

For our emerging artist exhibition programme, we tend to focus on identity as a theme. The question of identity is a big conundrum for the Bruneian artist. Thus, we are still looking for the local artists whose works express where they are from.

How has your role as a gallery evolved since the pandemic?

Our role has not changed much, perhaps because the art scene in Brunei and our gallery are still quite young. There are not many active galleries here, so we still function as a hub and beacon for local artists and creatives looking for a stable platform to work with. By keeping conversations going during the pandemic, it helped us build trust with the creative community.

What is a favourite artwork or event from the past year?

One of my favorite pieces we exhibited last year was ‘Titih’ by artist Yasmin Jaidin from the ‘Contoh’ exhibition. ‘Contoh’ came about after a nationwide outcry on the shortage of chicken nuggets, and naturally, we wanted to comment on the matter. The premise of the exhibition focused on the role of importing, manufacturing and selfsufficiency in Brunei. Yasmin’s work communicated a sense of displacement through a plot of ricefield made out of tulle.

Yasmin Jaidin, ‘Titih’, 2020, tulle, 200 x 200 x 210cm, installation view in ‘Contoh’ (2020). Photo by Shakira Rozanna. Image courtesy of Creative Space Art Gallery & Studio.