New Phnom Penh art space opening: The Chhan Dina Gallery
Birds abound, a monk looms, water splashes, faces peer, music plays, colours bloom and the vital lifeforce energy of the natural world reverberates through the room. That will be the scene that greets well-wishers at the opening of Phnom Penh’s newest art space, the Chhan Dina Gallery on Thursday, January 20.
While live music has stampeded back to life in Cambodia over recent months, especially in Phnom Penh, visual arts venues continue to be hit hard by the pandemic and events, let alone the opening of new venues has have been few and far between.
The tide is turning though, as marked by the opening of this new gallery. Nestled in the Phnom Penh arts precinct around the corner of Streets 178 and 13, the venture is the doing of popular Cambodian contemporary artist Chhan Dina.
From opening night on through the rest of the month the gallery will feature a selection spanning Dina’s career– touching on her familiar themes of nature, the everyday and the magical in a manner that blends both figurative and abstract styles.
A schedule of monthly exhibitions is planned, with Dina’s on-going display being augmented by the works of contemporary masters such as Chhim Sothy and Suos Sodavy. Upcoming talents are slated to be added to the mix as well.
Location, location, location is the watchword here with the gallery being situated close to the traditional and tourist-oriented National Museum and the youthful energy of the bustling campus of F3 (Friends Futures Factory) on the other. From its setting at the apex of the Phnom Penh arts scene, the gallery will create additional exposure for the vibrant 21st Century art being created today in the Kingdom of Wonder.
A space for artists, by an artist
Dina has been working and exhibiting her paintings and sculptures in Phnom Penh for many years, always with the dream of setting up her own gallery. Via her boundless energy she is a role model for younger artists and older artists alike courtesy of a boundless enthusiasm for promotion and her unyielding desire to present Cambodian art to the rest of the world.
“It is good to travel for experience and to see what other artists are doing, and sometimes I have thought about living in Europe,” says Dina. “But I am Cambodian, this is where I belong. I want to bring up the contemporary art in my country.”
“I know from my travels that most countries have a national gallery for their contemporary art, but in Cambodia we do not have a permanent collection like that. So it is up to the artists to help each other to raise the standard, and show what we can do.”
Dina wants to encourage young artists to explore their imaginations. “Young artists often only think about beauty, they want to make a nice painting, like a water buffalo in the sunset at Angkor Wat. And of course, art work can be beautiful, but it needs to have some meaning. I may work on the same ideas for many years and I keep coming back to the same themes and subjects, but I never get bored.”
There has been a gradual movement in her work over the years from humans in activity, humans in family, to the natural world and the same analogous relationships the wildlife of Cambodia, particularly cranes, exhibit. “Of course, Angkor Wat inspires me so much. I’m never tired of that. I see cranes and other animals carved into the temple walls. And I can see that that generation of artists and my generation are connected. I am proud to be an artist and I am proud of my country, because we have something very special.
“In my earlier work I had lots of bright, bright colours, but now I am being more naturalistic and trying to use colours that come from the nature that I am depicting. I am thinking more about choice of colour. And as I get older, the more I look? The more I see.”
Dina’s work is on display in many countries and she makes frequent sales both locally and overseas as her work appeals to barang tastes and increasingly to the local Cambodian market. Indeed, the pandemic saw a surge in her local sales.
The Chhan Dina Gallery is envisioned as a place to facilitate conversation about the development of Cambodian contemporary arts. Regular talks and performances are planned and there is also a small bar offering wine and beer. For now, the opening hours will be from 10 am until the early evening.
The opening on Thursday runs from 4 pm to 9 pm. The precise address is #178, St 13.
On a separate note, festivities will continue at Meta House next week where they are celebrating their 15th anniversary with an exhibition by young Khmer artist Koem Keosocheat entitled White.
 | Phnom Penh, Cambodia |
 | https://www.cambodialifestyle.com/phnom-penh/ |
 | +855 9 678 01791 |
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Author: Leon Havana
A trained chef and sports aficionado with extensive experience across South America and Asia. Leon’s culinary creations celebrate local flavors, while his love for sports like football and boxing connects him with local communities.
