Bandar Seri Begawan - Dozens of people made their way to the Brunei Museum to check out the two-week 11th Asian Cartoon exhibition.
The displayed artworks illustrate the cultures of the youth in Asean countries, raising awareness on the similarities and diversities of each country.
The artworks by participating cartoonists from 11 countries are imbued with a unique sense of humour and satire, making it both entertaining and insightful to viewers.
These talented cartoonists have participated in many an art exhibition, showcasing their skills to the world.
Among the participants is Brunei`s very own Rahim Jahit, popularly known as `Cuboi.` The talented 35-yearold graduated with an Honours Degree in Chemical Engineering at Teeside University, United Kingdom.
He is currently employed as an Operations Engineer with Brunei Shell Petroleum.
His cartoon `Borneo Bull`s Eye` appears in the Borneo Bulletin, and he has several books under his belt including `Cuboi`, `Cuboi 2` and `Borneo Bull`s Eye Collection.`
Meanwhile, 33-year-old cartoonist Le Roy Lagdameo from the Philippines contributes his work to English language daily newspapers such as The Philippines Star. Also known as Lyndon Gregorio, he has authored various books and participated in many events and seminars on games, comics and animation in the Philippines.
Malaysian talent Mohd Tazidi bin Yusof, 49, worked as a cartoonist for `Gila Gila` and vernacular daily newspaper Berita Harian among others.
He is currently a creative director at an events company, Craftsmen Soliloquy Sdn Bhd, and has displayed his works at many cartoon exhibitions.
Additionally, Tazidi won the Philip Morris Art Competition Best Selections Award in 1998.
Forty-eight-year-old Dasa Hapuwalanage - whose real name is Hapuwalanage Don Ariyadasa - began drawing cartoons at the age of 22, landing himself a job as a cartoonist for the Sinhala-Language Daily newspaper, Lakbima, Divaina and other papers, before taking on the role as a political cartoonist for the Sinhala-Language Major Daily, Lankadeepa.
He received the Excellent Award for Illustrative Drawing in 1992 and 1995; the Journalism Awards for Excellence (Cartoonist of the Year) 2004 4 and 2005, and various other awards domestically.
Meanwhile, 38-year-old Indonesian Benny Rachmadi graduated in Graphic Designs at the Jakarta Arts Institute, later working as a cartoonist for several newspapers and magazines.
He is currently an illustrator and contributor to the cartoon strip `Kartun Benny and Mice` of Kompas, Indonesia`s major vernacular daily newspaper.
Xia Dachuan, a 38-year-old from China, is a freelance cartoonist contributing his work to the Beijing Wanbao among others.
He has won over 80 awards in competitions all over the world including Belgium, France, Italy and Japan.
Xia is currently the Secretary General of the Cartoon Art Commission of the Chinese Association of Fine Artists.
Japanese Nobuyuki Kohmasu or Suu Kohma illustrates his political cartoons for the Hokkaido Shimbun and Sankei Shimbun.
His works include the four-cut cartoon `Himawari-Kun` (Little Sunflower Cop) which was also made into television and cartoon books, Ohnaa-Kun (Little Owner), and Banchou-Kun (Little School Gang Leader) among others.
To date, the 61-year-old has held 11 solo exhibitions.
Source: www.brudirect.com (24 Januari 2008)
