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How local creatives are turning passion into profit
Rise of the
Creatives
In Brunei’s steadily evolving economy, a
quiet transformation is taking place. Not in
oil fields or corporate offices, but around
dining tables turned art studios, notebooks
turned game decks, and Instagram grids
turned storefronts.
From illustrated zines and handcrafted
journals to niche tabletop games and
narrative content, Brunei’s creatives
are finding new ways to thrive. Not just
expressively, but economically.
WHEN CREATIVITY PAYS
KUEHKU!
is a Bruneian-designed card game
that turns local
kuih
into quirky characters.
Created by 29-year-old Shannon Osman,
the game first launched in 2020 and has
since expanded, featuring more traditional
snacks and even more reasons for Bruneians
to connect with their food heritage.
Shannon, who works full-time as an
operations manager, wanted the game to
be more than just entertaining.
“One of the greatest potentials we have is in
our creative industry,” she said. “That’s one
of the core factors behind the game: it’s
another platform to spread our culture and
give recognition to our local artists.”
She collaborated with a team of Bruneian
illustrators and designers to bring the project
to life. For her, the success of
KUEHKU!
proves that creativity in Brunei can become
part of people’s everyday lives instead of just
staying in the margins.
“Art doesn’t have to sit in a gallery—it can
be functional, playful and enjoyed,” she said.
CRAFTING IDENTITY,
BUILDINGWORLDS
While some are drawing inspiration from
local heritage, others are inventing entirely
new ones. For 33-year-old Mohd Eqbal
Lukhman binMohd Volinushki, a social media
manager and self-described storyteller, his
side hustle involves building worlds through
tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs).
He began by posting book reviews and
writing tips online, before layering in maps
and illustrations to bring his ideas to life.
Now he shares world-building resources,
game prompts and character concepts,
offering people the tools to create their own
stories. Networking, he said, is crucial. And
so is authenticity. “People can tell if you’re
being fake. When you’re real, the right people
will find you.”
His approach is practical but personal. By
combining creativity with digital reach,
he’s steadily building an audience—one
campaign, prompt and map at a time.
A SECTOR INMOTION, NOT
YET DEFINED
While creators like Shannon and Eqbal are
paving their own paths, larger questions about
Brunei’s creative economy still remain, mainly
on how to turn momentum into structure.
That’s something Kitani Kreatif, a local think
tank dedicated to advancing the creative
economy, has been actively exploring.
Through research, events, and cross-border
collaborations, the organisation has helped
spotlight the sector’s potential while also
confronting its persistent challenges.
“To focus solely on the economic value of
the cultural and creative industries is to
devalue their true impact,” said Nuur Aqilah
Ali, who has over a decade of experience in
the creative field.
She stressed the importance of recognising
creativity as more than a product—that it
carries cultural, social and even spiritual
value.
“There’s value in how these works preserve
culture, shape national identity and
contribute to community wellbeing. They’re
not just products to be sold, but ideas and
expressions to be nurtured.”
And nurturing, in this context, means
developing local standards, building
platforms for collaboration, and connecting
with regional peers—something creatives
have started doing more actively in recent
years.
MORE THAN AMOVEMENT
Whether it’s a deck of
kuih
cards, a Dungeons
& Dragons campaign, or a locally-made
sticker pack, Brunei’s creatives are proving
that art andcommercedon’t have tocompete.
These efforts, while still growing, point to a
shift in mindset. Creativity can be more than
just weekend hobbies or passion projects.
It can be a source of income, identity and
innovation.
LIFESTYLE
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BORNEO BULLETIN YEARBOOK 2026