"Sacred" as in transcendence, meditation, reach to other realms of thinking and living...Eight Cambodian visual artists are displaying their work at Festival d'Art Sacré (Sacred Art Festival) in Compiegne, France, 6-12 Dec. 2021
Curated by Marina Pok, Anicca Foundation founder and director, the Cambodian exhibition will include works by the following artists:
DIN Teang Borin
Borin (Kampot Province, 1979), known as Din and under his art label dinartcambodia,is an architect by formation who embraced visual arts several years ago.
His ongoing series of Apsaras, the Cambodian celestial dancers who grace the ancient Khmer temples, has been acclaimed in Cambodia and abroad.
KHCHAO Touch
Touch (1982, Battambang) has been an artist-in-residence in France and USA before launching in 2013 her own art space, Lotus Gallery, with her husband.
Lotus, the sacred flower in Cambodian tradition, is a symbol of meditation and enlightnment in her bright, vibrant compositions.
LA MO
Photographer La Mo(1977,Siem Reap)was granted several international awards for his body of work, in which he expresses his intimate knowledge and love for Cambodia. His latest exhibition at Sofitel Phnom Penh has drawn enthusiastic attention.
The sacred is often vibrant in his photographs, especially in his series "Rituals". La Mo will represent the Cambodian delegation at the Festival.
LENG Kimsreang
Also known as KS Blu, Kimsreang (1997, Phnom Penh) is the youngest among the Cambodian delegation to the Festival, yet her collage compositions, often using recycled paper, have drawn the attention of numerous art galleries and collectors.
Especially for the Festival, she has re-created the Buddha sacred figure in youthful, both energetic and serene artworks.
PICH Rattanak
An architectural designer with De-Axis Architecture Studio, Rattanak ពេជ តូច-Pich Toch(1993, Phnom Penh)is a digital illustrator and artist who continuously explores the symbolic of Khmer traditional houses and designs.
For the Festival, he has made illustrations combining typical elements of Khmer architecture, deeply rooted in sacred representations of deities and principles.
ROEUN Sokhom
Sokhom (1987, Battambang)graduated frrom the celebrated Phare Ponleu Selpak visual art school in 2010. His latest installation was a live painting session in Phnom Penh, Nov. 2021.
For the Sacred Art Festival, Sokhom's creation was inspired by Cambodian religious manuscripts and holy texts.
SAO Sreymao
An independent artist, freelance comics illustrator and graphic designer, Sreymao (1986, Battambang)graduated from Phare Ponleu Selapak School and completed the contemporary art class at Sa Sa Art Project.
Known for her surreal landscapes reflecting a country in the midst of profund changes, she is keen on capturing the sacred in the most mundane situations.
TIAN Veasna
Born in Cambodia in 1975,three days after the Khmer Rouge came to power, Veasna grew up as a Cambodian exilee in France, where he graduated from Strasbourg’s École des Arts Décoratifs in 2001. An illustrator, graphic designer and professor of visual arts, he came back to Cambodia several times, and settled in the Kingdom in 2012, working with the AZAHAR Foundation.
While his acclaimed book Year of the Rabbit (2020) reflected the hardship of history, Veasna continues his exploration of Cambodian traditions, myths and symbols.
The Sacred Art Festival will open on 6 Dec. 2021, 6 pm, with Tibetan Blessing Chants by Lama Samten Yeshe Rinpoche.
338 artists from 10 countries have confirmed participation.