Cambodia Begins at 40

Svay Ken: My Art, My Life, Meta House

Svay Ken KHMER ROUGE / “HORRORS” Meta House

KHMER ROUGE / “HORRORS”

Join Phnom Penh-based gallery and arts centre, Meta House for the opening of ‘My Art, My Life’ an exibition of visionary artist Svay Ken.

Svay Ken

As a pioneer of Cambodian contemporary art, Svay Ken’s captivating oil-on-canvas paintings have featuring in a series of contemporary art collections, shows and exhibitions across the Asia-Pacific region, as well as in New York.

Born in 1933 and educated in a Buddhist pagoda in his native Takeo province, he painted daily for 15 years until his tragic death in 2008. While painting was a family tradition, Svay Ken was a self-taught artist. In 1993, he took up a paintbrush as Cambodia was emerging from more than two decades of conflict.

HOTEL ROYAL / “SELF-PORTRAIT” AT LE ROYAL, SVAY KEN COLLECTION OF MARCO KALINN

He adopted the oil paint medium to document scenes from everyday life, while also recalling the past. His themes range from nostalgic to haunting. He also depicted scenes from the 1970s, portraying the suffering and dislocations experienced during the civil war and the Khmer Rouge period.

My Art, My Life is an exhibit of his rare works, contributed by three Phnom Penh-based collectors.

When is My Art, My Life?

The exhibition will be held from 7 to 26 February, 2023.

Where is the Exhibitions?

It will be shown at Meta House, Phnom Penh.


Further information

For more informaton on what is being shown at Meta House, visit https://meta-house.com/.

Main image : Khmer Rouge / Horrors, courtesy of Meta House.

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