UiTM Samarahan’s ReQaSeni art exhibition highlights students’ talents

KUCHING (Feb 23): The ReQaSeni art exhibition, organised by Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Samarahan Campus, highlights the artistic talent of its students, showcasing their potential to contribute to the state’s evolving art scene.

Now in its 19th edition, the exhibition at a shopping mall here features works by 20 final-year students from the College of Creative Arts, and serves as a platform to promote their creations to the public.

Minister of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Sarawak Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah expressed pride in witnessing the vibrant creativity of young artists, acknowledging their passion and dedication to the arts.

“You are the future of Sarawak, and your contributions to the creative arts have the potential to not only enrich our cultural landscape but also contribute to our state’s growth,” he said this in his text speech, read by the ministry’s permanent secretary Morshidi Fredrick at the ceremony yesterday.

Abdul Karim added that through this exhibition, the students not only showcased their talentsm but also reminded the public about the importance of creativity in shaping a better world.

“Your journey reminds us of the power of art – how it can inspire, challenge, and bring people together, as well as tell stories, provoke thought, and stir emotions.”

Open until today, the event also recognises outstanding achievements with the ‘Best Student Awards’ being presented to nine students for their exceptional designs.

The recipients from the Graphic Design course include Iryn Tina Michael, Elya Charmie, Nur Hazirah Lya Rickino, Emil Elmariz Johny, and Ashlyn Sofie Gathermore.

For the Fine Arts course, the recipients are Faizah Syazwani Mohamed Razeli, Syahira Yasmin Abdul Kadir, Juliette Gangging Joseph, and Dilmela Liman.

Speaking to the media, 21-year-old Emil said his design revolved around the local Bintulu-based brand ‘Mangkok Bocor’, prominently featuring the colour green.

“After meeting with the ‘Mangkok Bocor’ team, we agreed to retain green as their signature colour, as I wanted to ensure consistency with their brand identity and maintain appeal for their customer base.

“I also incorporated a touch of red as this colour is known to stimulate appetite which, in my opinion, could help attract more customers to their eatery,” he said.

His project, which kicked off in October last year, took a total of six months to complete, including research, sketches, meetings, and references.

Meanwhile, 21-year-old Faizah showcased her iron sculpture depicting a scene from the novel ‘Hikayat Panglima Nikosa’, illustrating the practice of side-farming while awaiting the rice harvest.

Her sculpture features a large, two-semicircle iron frame with intricate elements representing paddy fields and traditional farming tools, crafted as a portrait.

“The most exciting part of this project was learning a new technique — electro-etching,” she said.

Also present at the event were the UiTM Samarahan Campus deputy rector (research and industry network) Prof Dr Juferi Idris, and technologist Roseline Ikau