Art in Phnom Penh: Khun Vannak’s Art Invited Exploration of Identity and Memory
Khun Vannak’s recent solo exhibition presented an immersive collection of self-portraits, photographs, paintings, sculptures, and objects that explored identity, memory, and the interplay between the human spirit and animals.
Vannak transformed the gallery at the German-Cambodian Cultural Centre, or Meta House, into a sanctuary of layered intimacies, a space that was not only inhabited but also played with, felt, and shared.
This immersive creation invited visitors into a labyrinth of simultaneous sensibilities, born from a collaboration with his partner Emmanuel Pezard, art curator Erick Gonzalez, and a collective of artists and performers whose presence had etched the contours of his universe.
In this exhibit, he aimed to show the audience what lay beyond the surface and in the essence of his intimate universe. By inviting the audience into his “home,” he reversed the patterns that had defined his artistic practice over the past decade.
“We were not spectators, but participants who entered, observed, and interpreted. Our gaze, once passive, became an act of exploration, of discovering our own curiosities. Each element raised questions,” he said.
The door to Vannak’s house swung inward, revealing not walls but layers of identity—every mask Vannak had ever worn faded into projections on the gallery’s screens in a retrospective offering a comprehensive view of his visual work.
Vannak explained that there were framed self-portraits, photos, paintings, sculptures, and objects, all with a story behind them. “We were somewhere between a curiosity cabinet and theatrical decorum, a reflection of different realities that together made sense and created unity,” he said.
Through images of his ancestors, Vannak stitched together the fragmented fabric of family memories. These relics were preserved and reimagined, and therefore revived, acting as bridges spanning the distances of time and space, prompting viewers to enter their ongoing narratives.
In reconstructing the shattered emblems of disrupted identities, he rejected the comfort of resolution. Instead, he reveled in their discordant beauty, creating an aesthetic of dissonance.
Vannak interwove irony and sincerity, creating a narrative that softened the weight of a difficult childhood while implying its presence.
Furthermore, it was also a vast embrace, bringing together his companion, his friends, his omnipresent cats, his walks in the city where he had always lived, but also over this country whose wars he was a child of.
“The viewer as kindred spirits, proposing that we inhabited this shared space, not as strangers, but as co-creators of its meaning,” Vannak stated.
Most of the old objects, such as copper pots and pottery, had been given by relatives and friends from Battambang, Kratie, and Kandal provinces. The rest were bought from the market. His wooden sculptures copied ancient carvings on old pieces of wood, Vannak told Kiripost.
“This exhibition was also an installation. The idea was to reconstruct my artistic universe by opening the doors of my home, to show what was behind the walls. There was a retrospective of my 10 years of photographic work, my first series of paintings, which I began during Covid, various installations, and part of my private collection, which showed my attachment to Khmer culture,” he added.
“This ensemble formed part of my identity and allowed viewers to immerse themselves in my work in real time, showing its many facets. The aim was to share and exchange with visitors the visual aspects that made up my world, showing them in an ensemble that didn’t boil down to one art form, but to an approach to the arts in general.”
He said that was why at the opening, there was an artistic performance, with the complicity of Eric Ellul. “Photography, painting, performance, installation, a music concert, this exhibition was a reflection of my identity in the mirror of society,” he said.
Khun Vannak, born in 1980 in Phnom Penh, was a contemporary artist known for his unique blend of photography and performance.
Initially a finance graduate, he turned to art in 2014 and decided to devote himself entirely to it in 2019. His work often explored identity and social commentary through personal narratives, using himself as the subject.
He exhibited widely, notably in the ‘Adorned Body, Transformed Body’ exhibition organized by Musée International du Parfum in Grasse, and through his initiative, ‘Art Home,’ which promoted local artists and cultural exchange.
Vannak’s work had been exhibited in Tokyo, Taipei, Lille, and on numerous occasions in the Cambodian capital, as part of the Photo Phnom Penh Festival, of which he was one of the pillars. His commitment to improving the Cambodian art scene continued to be recognized nationally and was now being exported internationally.
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Author: Tom Starkey
Tom Starkey is an International Development graduate from Sussex University with 12-years of experience across 4 continents, Tom's goal is that he wants to showcase his love for Cambodia, where he lives, works and now happily calls home.
