September 26, 2024
PHNOM PENH – SNA Arts Management is excited to unveil its new group exhibition, Immersed in Land & Water, celebrating the opening of their new gallery and project space.
The exhibition, running from September 26 to November 29, showcases the works of renowned artists from Battambang and Koh Kong provinces and Phnom Penh, including Chea Sereyroth, Koeurm Kolab, Pen Robit, Prak Dalin and Sorn Srenh (Sea).
The featured creators invite viewers to reflect on humanity’s relationship with nature through a diverse range of media: painting on canvas and paper, sculpture and photography.
“Focusing on Cambodia’s natural landscapes, waterways and social development, the exhibition delves into the intersection of environment and social reality,” SNA founder Chum Chanveasna said.
Artworks and themes
Sereyroth’s collection consists of seven framed paintings on canvas. His work explores the deep connection between nature and rural life in Cambodia, using unique materials like sawdust, mud and soil mixed with acrylic paint.
His striking piece Flower Bush (2024), a large canvas blending these elements, captures the richness of Cambodia’s rural landscapes and the critical role nature plays in human survival.
“Through his art, Sereyroth emphasises that without nature, darkness and destruction would prevail,” said Chanveasna.
Sereyroth (b. 1990, Battambang) is a graduate of Phare Ponleu Selpak, where he studied painting and later became a graphic design teacher.
His work is deeply influenced by the country’s rural communities, focusing on the neglect of the environment. Sereyroth has exhibited widely, including in Singapore, Japan and Australia.
Kolab presents three framed canvases that reflect her concern with environmental degradation, specifically water pollution.
In her series, Kolab tracks the life cycle of plastic, from its origins in petroleum extraction to its impact on waterways and marine life.
“She portrays water as the earth’s lifeblood in pieces like Untitled (2024), where abstract representations of polluted rivers are woven into intricate layers of colour and texture,” said Chanveasna.
Kolab (b. 1987, Battambang) is a graduate of both Phare Ponleu Selpak’s visual arts and animation departments and the Gerard Pivat School of Applied Art and Design in France.
Her work centres around social and environmental issues, particularly the impact of industrial waste on natural water sources.
She has exhibited in France, South Korea, Thailand and Japan, and was awarded the Gold Prize from White Canvas Cambodia in 2020.
Robit’s seven framed paintings on paper feature lines inspired by the traditional Khmer krama scarf, creating both realistic and abstract forms.
His colourful grids and flowing patterns, as seen in Krama on the Wind (2024), reflect the intersection of rural life, military power and the country’s forests.
“Robit’s use of the krama pattern in various states – blowing in the wind, draped over forms – serves as a metaphor for Cambodia’s complex socio-political landscape,” he said.
Robit (b. 1991, Battambang) is known for his exploration of the country’s past, present and future through both realistically and abstractly.
Robit’s paintings draw from Cambodian iconography and societal issues. His solo exhibitions have been held in Phnom Penh, Singapore and Malaysia.
Dalin’s four sculptures explore urbanisation and the displacement of rural communities.
Her towering metal structures, such as Untitled Vertical Pipes (2024), symbolises industrial expansion, evoking both the sense of progress and the growing pains that come with development.
These works examine the physical and emotional toll that modernisation takes on both the land and the people who depend on it.
Dalin (b. 1996, Kampong Cham) is both an artist and an architect. A graduate of the Royal University of Fine Arts and Sa Sa Art Projects, she uses her dual background to create sculptures that reflect the growing urban landscape of Phnom Penh.
Her work has been exhibited internationally in Malaysia, Thailand and Germany.
Sea (b. 1988, Koh Kong) is a professional scuba diver and uses his photography to advocate for marine conservation.
His nine framed photographs, including Seahorse (The Ocean’s Messenger) (2017), capture the vibrant underwater life of Cambodia’s seas, highlighting the beauty and fragility of marine ecosystems.
“Sea’s work not only showcases stunning aquatic landscapes but also urges viewers to protect these environments from pollution and overfishing,” Chanveasna explained.
She noted that Sea has played a vital role in conducting underwater reef surveys and promoting sustainable marine practices within his community.
“I have spent my life surrounded by the arts. I grew up within a performing arts family, and married a visual artist. I revere great beauty and creativity,” said Chanveasna.
“I live to share my passion … with others by showing the work of Cambodian visual artists to people the world over,” she added.