Awangko’ Hamdan Pengiran Arshad

Summary

Senior lecturer and ceramic sculptor was born October 1962 in Sarikei, Sarawak. Trained as an artist and a designer upon graduating with a diploma from the School of Art and Design, UiTM Shah Alam in 1984, he specializes in the realm of fine art ceramics discipline. Prior to joining UNIMAS he had a diverse working experience as a designer, artist, and educator, with which he fondly shares with, and inspire the fine arts students. He first started his career as a designer with a publishing firm in Kuala Lumpur before returning to Sarawak in 1986 to work as a freelance artist. Then he engaged himself with a teaching profession for a year before joining Sarawak Economic Development Corporation in 1989 as a designer cum head of research and development unit for handicraft development. In the pursuit to fulfil a lifetime dream as a full-time artist, he resigned from his post in 1994 and set up a ceramic art studio at Satok, Kuching; but only to be devastated later by the infamous economic downturn in 1997. 

Awangko’ began stint with UNIMAS as a tutor in 1998 and lecturer in 2003 after graduating with MA in Visual Arts from Australian National University, Canberra, Australia. Within the seventeenth passionate years with UNIMAS, he had executed a multi role as educator, program coordinator, researcher, paper presenter, and supervisor for undergraduate and postgraduate students, academic advisor, external theses examiner, external degree assessor, evaluator for postgraduate diploma in teaching and learning program, facilitator, consultant, mentor, panel of expertise and juror to name a few. Additionally, he had proudly represented UNIMAS widely through his active participation in various contemporary ceramics art exhibitions held locally, nationally and internationally. He found joy in accomplishing his career especially in imparting his skills and knowledge to students for their life-long learning; while developing his own career path advancement with UNIMAS.