Artist completes unique portrait of Brunei crown prince in just 20 days

2026-03-12 - 00:44

Artist Muhammad Darwisy Mustafani never expected that his portrait of Brunei’s crown prince would be displayed at the palace. (Muhammad Darwisy Mustafani pics) KOTA BHARU: A young artist from Kelantan never imagined his talent would one day earn him the opportunity to paint a portrait of the crown prince of Brunei, Pengiran Muda Mahkota Al-Muhtadee Billah Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. Muhammad Darwisy Mustafani, 25, described the opportunity as deeply meaningful, especially as he was able to personally present the portrait to the crown prince during the royal’s birthday celebration on Feb 17 at the Brunei palace. The commission began when he received a message via Instagram in November from the Royal Brunei Armed Forces, requesting a portrait of the crown prince adorned with pure gold and 1,000 Swarovski stones from Austria. “After receiving the commission, I prepared nearly 10 draft sketches and working papers before arriving at a design that was approved by the palace,” he told Bernama. Darwisy said it would usually take him 1.5 months to complete a portrait of this scale. This time, however, he only had about 20 days. Once the concept was finalised, Silubang Bangsi woven fabric was sent to him as the canvas on which he sketched the prince’s portrait using acrylic paint. “I started with the face first because it is the most complex part of a portrait, followed by the clothing and other details,” Darwisy outlined. “Because of the tight deadline, I only slept for about an hour a day during the last three days as I was worried I wouldn’t be able to finish it in time.” For the finishing touches, the artwork was embellished with 1,000 black Swarovski stones and 20 pieces of 999 gold wafers, each worth about RM180. Applying the gold was particularly challenging, he said, as the wafers had to be carefully cut into smaller pieces. “In total, there are 52 gold pieces, symbolising the crown prince’s 52nd birthday,” Darwisy explained. The finishing touches involved 1,000 black Swarovski stones and 20 pieces of gold wafers. (Muhammad Darwisy Mustafani pics) Darwisy said he was initially told that an officer from the Royal Brunei Armed Forces would present the portrait to the prince. At the last minute, however, the palace invited him to present the artwork personally. “I was asked to present the portrait at a banquet held at the defence ministry building, and after the banquet ended, I was invited to the palace,” he recalled. “I was excited but also nervous about meeting the crown prince. Thankfully everything went well, and he spoke with me and asked several questions about the painting.” Darwisy said he was especially honoured when he learnt that the artwork had captured the prince’s attention. “The painting was initially meant to be displayed at Istana Brunei, but it was later directed to be placed at the office of the crown prince at the prime minister’s department.” Videos of the portrait shared on his TikTok account have attracted more than 1.6 million views and over 100,000 likes.