AN ART exhibition is currently being held to dismiss stereotypes, in terms of seeing only one aspect of a person's identity, such as their religion, as defining all aspects of their individuality, said Australian High Commissioner Mark Sawers.

Sawers, who launched the exhibition, hoped that the exhibition could show Australians exploring different cultures through Australia's perspective of other cultures and religions by addressing its issues, instead of relying on assumptions.

"Stereotyping is also to do with jumping to conclusions about others based on very little information and usually without them having the opportunity to speak for themselves," Sawers said, adding that stereotyping still exists and acts as a barrier to a deeper understanding of others.

He added that one of the most difficult areas in which we encounter stereotypes is around cultural or religious symbols, for example, in non-Muslim societies, the wearing of the tudong has attracted negative stereotypes of Muslim women and Islam in general.

"This exhibition shows how personal the tudong can be and celebrates it through the beautiful images along with documentation of non-Muslim women exploring it more personally with the goal of understanding what it means to Muslim women," he added.

The aim of the exhibition is to reflecton the meaning of the tudong in all its myriad forms and susbsequently, broader assumptions about others, Sawers said.

"This gives people an opportunity to explore, stop and reflect on how they see other religious groups and cultures. We are challenging the stereotypes and although it is a modest goal, it's a step forward," he said during an interview.

"We want people to know about the lesser known aspects of Muslims in Australia as well because it is a diverse society with women from many different backgrounds," Sawers added.

The exhibition titled "What if I want to water ski? And other questions" by Australian artist Victoria Cattoni, implies the curiosity of a woman who is asking whether it is possible to practise watersports while wearing a headscarf?

During an interview with The Brunei Times, Cattoni explained that the project started because of her own assumptions of the tudong and how she wanted to create a project that would allow others to understand more clearly.

"I've spent a lot of time in Indonesia and Malaysia and I was aware that even with relevant knowledge about their culture, I still have some form of stereotypical view. Hence, the project is designed to allow us the opportunity to reflect and have other views through exploration about the representation of the tudong and the controversy that surrounds it," she said.

A series of pictures of women wearing tudong are on display to challenge dominant representations and widen the portrayal of Muslim women. The exhibition at Sheraton Utama Hotel ends today at 8pm.

The Brunei Times