Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Brunei Darussalam, we all have experienced challenging times, affecting our lives in all fronts. This has particularly impacted the lives of the student community who have been studying and working online over the past twelve months. The limitations inflicted by online learning present challenges to the typical apprenticeship environment, brainstorm discussions, and peer-learning that is normally abundant in creative studios. Social interaction is an important component of the creative process as it is through our social and human experience that we can develop ideas and seek for opportunities to bring a positive impact into our community. Then, the uncertainty of the future becomes even greater for students in their final stage of their studies, developing concerns about their professional careers.
Once again, adverse conditions and various challenges have demonstrated to be jet fuel for creativity and resilience. The Spectrum 2022: INFINITE Design and Creative Industries Graduation Exhibition presents the final year projects completed by 53 DCI major students across a wide range of creative clusters, from digital arts and design, editorial design, product design, conceptual art installation, fashion and apparel design, film, animation and video production, fine arts, and concept interior and architectural design.
The projects conceptualised and developed by the students are the result of their academic and creative endeavour throughout the four years of their studies in Universiti Brunei Darussalam, where students are exposed to a human-centred design and creative practice that it is built upon a deeper connection, empathy, and positive intentionality to resolve problems. The Design and Creative Industries bachelor’s degree is designed to enhance student’s creative skills, critical thinking, conceptual mindset, technological knowledge, managerial dexterity, and entrepreneurial attitude. It is our hope that a transdisciplinary approach towards an expanded perspective over the cultural and creative industries develops in our students the versatility, flexibility, and the emotional intelligence that the present global creative industries job market clearly demands. Although we are evolving into a world and a lifestyle that is increasingly shaped by digital technologies, artificial intelligence, and the visualisation of alternative realities, it is through our human conscious, our sense of awareness, our ethical standards, our positive intentionality, and resilience that we can build a better future.
At last, we would like to congratulate all students who are presenting their projects to the public and UBD community and we hope that the Spectrum exhibitions will continue to open new opportunities for the cultural and creative industries in Brunei Darussalam.
- DR. RUI OLIVEIRA LOPES & OSMAN MOHAMMAD SPECTRUM PROJECT COORIDINATORS
With hearts full of pride, all 53 of us from the second batch of BA Design and Creative Industries (DCI) programme at UBD will be continuing Spectrum’s legacy by welcoming you to Spectrum 2022: INFINITE.
Through this exhibition, we want everyone to be fully aware of their own potential – this includes their own creativity. I personally believe that all of us are creative in our own ways as we all have an imagination. Everyone has different levels of creativity, it depends on how often you choose to tap into it.
Thus, the bottom line is that each of us has the power to invent ourselves; who we are; our own identity. It is healthy to express yourself – it is a form of Catharsis. It allows people to constantly be in touch with their inner self, and one way to do this is through art; it connects one’s sense of individuality through different forms, styles and concepts. These differences are where one could shine and tell their story, and most importantly; to be heard.
With the term ‘INFINITE’, we aim to be as inclusive as possible by highlighting this never-ending diversity of talents, skills and identities. What we present to you is not just the creativity of our team of artists, but the combination of all the hard work, dedication, passion and commitment of the 2018 DCI cohort. It was not easy; we have spent almost a year jumping back and forth planning the exhibition to either be online or offline because of COVID-19. It got to a point we ended up planning two events due to how uncertain our situation was.
It is truly a miracle that this exhibition is orchestrated physically in the end, but I wholeheartedly believe that we managed to make this event a reality because of everyone; I thank Dr. Rui Lopes and Sir Haji Osman for their guidance and advice while still trusting us to be independent enough to learn through the trial-and-errors of organising this exhibition. I thank our dear sponsors for being supporters of creativity and believing in us.
And most importantly, to my lovely friends of Spectrum 2022: INFINITE, to all of the tears we shed, to all of the stomach-hurting-laughter we shared, to all of the lessons and fond memories we have made throughout – I hope you look back to this stage of your life and smile with pride; you have left a mark in the creative industry.
Here is to us in celebrating differences and all of the diverse identities that decorate the infinite space of creative possibilities with a colourful explosion.
- LIZZIE MARALI DIRECTOR OF SPECTRUM 2022: INFINITE
