I Wonder / Don’t believe your daughter when she says she has no lover

Statement of Purpose: Empowering Cambodian women visual artists !

selapak neari | Art Studio (SN | AE) is a new and experimental venture dedicated to forging meaningful connections and interactions between art, artists and local communities Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

In 2005, a search for Cambodian artists revealed that there are only a very small proportion of female artists in the country. Out of 20 artists met, only 3 women artists’ names came up: Duong Saree and Long Sophea, both of traditional background, and myself, in contemporary art. There clearly exists a generation gap amongst Cambodian women artists. Before the Khmer Rouge period, women in the art world were trained in developing traditional Cambodian art skills. Nowadays the younger generation are orienting toward contemporary art, yet they have no role model to look up to and who can help empower women as visual artists. There are more and younger female Khmer artists launching themselves in contemporary art without any focus, guidance or support.

There are a number of professional women artists working and living in Cambodia. “Selapak Neari” is a project to create dialogs and exchanges amongst women artists beyond the national identity. Many women artists from all over Asia live and work in Cambodia. The contemporary art scene in Cambodia is similar to other countries, i.e. dominated by male artists. This project serves as an opportunity for women artists to meet, exchange ideas and visions, and to share a diversity of art views through a deeper understanding of their national culture, hence reinforcing their own identity.

In order to enhance bonding and deepen artistic knowledge, artists are encouraged to work in pairs. A non Cambodian artist will have her counterpart Cambodian artist. They may or may not create collaborative art work; by working in pairs it will stimulate creative dialogs within an intimate relationship between artists of the same or different disciplines.

Artists are encouraged to be part of the community: by exchanging information about exhibitions, residencies, and about their artistic productions. By working together, these meetings will break down the artists’ isolation and stimulate creative dialogs amongst them.