Hotel De La Paix in Siem Reap, Cambodia Unveils ‘Seven’

Hotel de la Paix, a five-star boutique hotel dedicated to community sustainability in Siem Reap, Cambodia, will unveil ‘Seven’, an exhibition curated by the hotel’s resident artist and curator, Sasha Constable.

The special exhibit will feature seven talented artists practicing in various mediums, celebrating the seventh anniversary of the re-opening of H?tel de la Paix, which took place in 2005. After seven years of supporting the arts this will be the final exhibition before the hotel closes at the end of June for a complete renovation.

Resident curator, Sasha Constable will include her stone carvings from an ongoing series about gods and demons inspired by Angkor. Chhan Dina, a young painter and sculptor from Phnom Penh will showcase a series of paintings that illustrate scenes from everyday life. Dina was the only female artist to take part in IMPACT, an exhibit about landmines organized by the United Nations in 2009. Leang Seckon, one of the leading artists in the Cambodian contemporary art scene will display his series ‘My Feeling from the Buddha’.

The paintings depict Seckon’s personal feelings about the Buddha and focus on the body of the Buddha and
his many different forms. Meas Sokhorn will showcase a series of sculptures composed of wire, manual labor tools and found objects he recovered from ‘et chia,’ or rubbish collectors. The objects are physical
representations of cultural practices displaced by modernity.

Svay Ken, a prolific artist from the Takeo province, was self-taught and took up painting at 60 years of age; he
is often referred to as the grandfather of Cambodian contemporary art. Ken’s oil paintings depict scenes from everyday life; he died in 2008. Vincent Broustet, a French artist who has traveled the world before settling in Kampot, Cambodia, in 2004 will also be showcased. He works with a varied subject matter including landscape, architecture and people. Vincent’s current series delves into his fascination with people as they sleep. Yim Maline is a young artist from Battambang whose rigorous and meticulous practice spans media and scrutinizes the complexities of freedom. By reinterpreting childhood memories and unraveling contradictions of the present she creates work in which the playful and unsettling coincide.

H?tel de la Paix has actively supported emerging Khmer artists and artists with a connection to the country and the revival of art in Cambodia by exhibiting upcoming and established artists bi-monthly throughout the year.

For many artists this has been a vital stepping-stone for them at the beginning of their careers. Bill Bensley
designed the Arts Lounge with the intention that it would be a multi purpose space - a stunning art gallery,
stylish bar, welcoming lounge and adaptable creative event space for guests and visitors to the hotel.

‘Seven’ will be on display at the Arts Lounge at H?tel de la Paix, Siem Reap from May 10 to June 27, 2012. 

For photographs or additional information on Sasha Constable and the ‘Seven’ exhibition please contact Rebie Bautista Lash at [email protected]. Sasha Constable and Savann Oun, her assistant, are regularly available in the Arts Lounge should you wish to purchase or discuss any of the work being exhibited.

Source - etravelblackboardasia