Washington, D.C.,– The Embassy of Brunei Darussalam hosted a cultural exhibition Thursday evening, April 17, 2025, that brought together diplomats, business executives, and community leaders. The event, presented in partnership with the Washington Education & Cultural Attache Association (WECAA) and Du Plain Global Enterprises, featured art displays and culinary presentations.
Ambassadors from Singapore, Vietnam, Philippines, and Maldives joined other diplomatic representatives, socially prominent Washingtonians, arts and cultural icons, Marvin Bowser (professional photographer and brother of the Mayor of D.C.), and media professionals for the two-hour program that ran from 6:30 to 8:30 PM.
Jan Du Plain, Co-Founder of WECAA and CEO of Du Plain Global Enterprises, delivered opening remarks: “What an absolute joy it is for the Washington Educational and Cultural Attache Association—WECAA—and Du Plain Global Enterprises to join forces with His Excellency Dato Serbini Ali, the extraordinary Ambassador of Brunei Darussalam, to bring you this unforgettable celebration: Brunei Darussalam Cultural Day! Now, let’s be honest… how often do you get to party with a diplomat who can negotiate peace deals by day and paint masterpieces and cook five-star meals by night?”
Ambassador Ali, who has served in Washington for nearly a decade, discussed his approach to painting: “So feeling confident; I tried something a little bit complicated. A quarter of the way I almost gave up because there were a lot of details. But then I said to myself, you are not painting photos. As long as people can recognize that it’s a building; you are okay…Sorry, it’s not for sale.In the future, I would like to paint something much more realistic on a large canvas.”
The Ambassador added: “Many painters can never be happy or satisfied with the finished product. They might always feel like there is something missing or something that I can improve. This is the way we have to learn how to stop and leave it how it is.”
The event centered on Ambassador Dato Serbini Ali’s artistic contributions, featuring his painting exhibition titled “The Journey: Diplomat.” During the program, Ambassador Ali presented his painting of the Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center to Allyson McKithen, Executive Director of The World Trade Center.
Upon receiving the artwork, McKithen stated: “That’s lovely. This is wonderful! Thank you so much. We are honored. We are truly honored. On behalf of my colleagues in the Reagan Building and the World Trade Center, I cannot thank you enough for this.” In turn, she offered a gift back to the Ambassador—a quiet gesture that said more than words.
The cultural program also featured culinary presentations by Ms. Faridah Dato Serbini, the Ambassador’s daughter. During her address, she said: “Growing up our family dinners were never boring. They were unconventional. One day we would be having a Brunei’s National dish…The next, Peruvian Cerviché and Iranian Cherry Rice and a week after that a heroic but slightly tragic attempt at cookies in a country where eggs are wants and maybe still are a luxury item. But over the years I have watched conversations soften over bowls of rice. Tensions dissolve over teas and cakes. And cultures come alive through meals we have shared.”
She continued: “Our dinner table taught me about connection through food, through flavor, and through mom’s homemade Somba. I have learned that food is more than nourishment; it’s identity, it’s memory.”
Throughout the evening, guests wandered between the art exhibit and dinner stations, lingering in conversations that bridged continents. The informality of the setting allowed participants to find common ground as they networked.
What emerged was not just a display of culture, but a mirror into the daily diplomacy that often begins at home—with a paintbrush, a rolling pin, or a steaming pot of sambal.
As Washington’s spring evening wore on, there were no grand declarations, only the quiet, unmistakable resonance of shared experience. Brunei’s Cultural Day reminded everyone in the room that diplomacy often begins in small, personal acts. And in that, the Embassy of Brunei offered something lasting.
For those who came, the evening lives on not just in photographs or plates licked clean—but in the memory of a table set with care, where art and food spoke fluently across borders.
