Pioneering Cambodian contemporary artist
By Ian Tee

Midpoint is a monthly series that invites established Southeast Asian contemporary artists to take stock of their career thus far, reflect upon generational shifts and consider the advantages and challenges of working in the present day. It is part of A&M Dialogues and builds upon the popular Fresh Faces series.

Leang Seckon is among the generation of contemporary Cambodian artists who emerged in the 2000s. Having grown up during the brutal Khmer Rouge regime after the American bombing of Indochina, his work is deeply informed by the country’s recent history and the legacies of war. In his paintings and collages, Seckon weaves stories from his childhood and folklore to comment on contemporary life in Cambodia. He has exhibited widely in his home country and at international platforms such as the 8th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (2015), Shanghai Biennale 2012, and 4th Fukuoka Asian Art Triennale (2009), among others.

Could you share a decision and/or event (could be happenstance) that marked a significant turn/moment in your path as an artist?

In the last 24 years as an independent artist, I had many local and international exhibitions, as well as residencies outside of the country. A significant moment in my path as an artist was my solo exhibition ‘Heavy Skirt’ (2010) with Rossi & Rossi in London. The show tells the story of my mother. In 1970, she was pregnant with me. The civil war was ongoing and bombs were being dropped. My mother had only one skirt, and she patched it whenever it became torn, until it became so heavy. She was pregnant and her belly was heavy. The skirt was heavy and the bombing was heavy too. Why did Cambodia receive the heaviest bombing during the Indochina war when it was a conflict between the United States and North Vietnam?

Next came the genocide by the Khmer Rouge, and around three million Cambodians were killed. This happened when I was young and it was frightening to hear about trauma from this history. In ‘Heavy Skirt’, I painted the painful stories from my mother and the people in my village, as a way of healing. I wanted the radiant skirt to extinguish the flames of war, and soothe the heart and relieve suffering. I enjoyed making this body of work, and am proud that international audiences understood these stories. The work is a testament to the spirit of the Khmer people whom we lost.

“I wanted the radiant skirt to extinguish the flames of war, and soothe the heart and relieve suffering.”

Could you walk us through a typical work day, or a typical week? What routine do you follow to nourish yourself/your artistic practice?

In Cambodia, it is rare for an artist to be fully independent. Most artists survive by finding other jobs while making art at the same time. I am highly committed and have a deep love for art. I manage my time, with clear plans to keep myself and my creativity alive. This allows each year or project to develop fruitfully, and allows for me to make realistic changes depending on the situation. For example, in a one-year plan, I may try to participate in two or three exhibitions both locally and abroad. If there are no opportunities to show, I will try my best to create events or my own programmes to remain active. Each year, I usually have around three months of free time to go around without making artworks. This helps me generate new ideas and grounds me to the time and place I am in. I am busy with conducting workshops or going on residencies for around half of the year.

I enjoy working alone in the studio. I start my day with painting, and occasionally go to the music studio to record songs in the afternoon. I usually write poems or songs at night. Songwriting is also my passion. Once, I even went to sing on television to amuse myself. Someone asked me how I do all of these at the same time. And I said I can manage my time, but I do get confused and mess things up as well. Creating art is my soul, while music and writing are hobbies. They are on the outside, like a cover that supports the tree and keeps it strong. In my artworks, there are many layers and parts that combine to create a unique identity, and that is me.

Seckon’s previous studio at Boeung Kak Lake, 2011. Image courtesy of the artist.

Seckon’s current studio, photo taken in 2023. Image courtesy of the artist.

Could you describe your studio/ working space and how it has evolved over the years to become what it is today? What do you enjoy about it, and what do you wish to improve?

Initially, I only had one bedroom and that was where I worked. The place was on Beoung Kak Lake, which is now fully filled in with sand of development. I have moved into a new studio named Mutrak. I use it for painting and meeting visitors. I keep these appointments to twice a week in order to avoid disturbing my painting time. The visitors include researchers, collectors, curators, gallerists, journalists, friends, and local students.

What has become easier or more difficult to do as time has gone by?

The technical challenge of creating artwork is reduced because I know the steps to take and my motivation for making work. Of course, I push myself to create something new, and imagine new themes and projects. In general, I paint with a clear plan, where the ideas and colours are structured and I even make sketches to imagine the eventual outcome. For collages, I give the freedom to myself, to be flexible with the materials I have collected. My paintings and collages connect with each other when I create them as a body of work.

That said, I struggle with communication and technology. I am not good at networking but people still find a way to see my works and visit me. The COVID-19 pandemic was an especially challenging time for myself and many artists. The art market in Cambodia is very limited and it is not easy for local collectors to acquire high value artworks. There is no contemporary art museum in Cambodia yet, and I am trying to reach out to the government in hopes that there might be some common understanding. I do my best to contribute my artworks to local and international art institutions to develop the Cambodian art scene, such as the S21 Genocide Museum. I hope that more local patrons will buy artworks and keep them in Cambodia.

“There is no contemporary art museum in Cambodia yet and I am trying to reach out to the government in hope that there might be some common understanding… I hope that more local patrons will buy artworks and keep them in Cambodia.”

Leang Seckon, ‘Growing Wings’, 2020, mixed media on canvas, 120 x 300cm. Image courtesy of the artist.

Could you talk about your interactions with the late Svay Ken (1933-2008)? Is there a core memory or something he said/did that you attach the most significance to?

I first saw Svay Ken’s work when he exhibited at Reyum Art institute in 2000. His paintings were very interesting and made me laugh. He drew an exploded bomb but it looked like a birthday cake and a kid was playing with it. I asked him how he started painting. He answered that he had no formal training, and did not know how to paint well. The perspective in his painting was not right, and he did not mind if people could not see the same things he intended to show.

In 2006, Art-2 gallery in Singapore flew us in to attend the opening of our group show. Svay Ken did not want to go as he hurt his leg. I went to encourage him to join me as it was an important international show for him. I also assured him that I would take care of him along the way till we came back home. He then decided to go on the trip. Later, he made a painting of me holding him as we stepped on an escalator at the airport.

I visited him when I heard he had a serious illness and was bedridden. Although he could not get up from the bed, he still painted while he laid down. I laughed and asked: “why did you not want to rest?” He said he was too bored, so instead he painted. He passed away a week later, and I went to his cremation ceremony.

Leang Seckon, ‘The Weight of Freedom’, 2023-24, exhibition view in Akar Praka Gallery, Dehli. Image courtesy of the artist and Akar Praka Gallery.

Seckon working on a collage during his residency in India, 2023. Image courtesy of the artist.

Your solo exhibition ‘The Weight of Freedom’ (2023-24) at Akar Prakar in New Delhi features works produced during your first residency in India. Could you describe your residency experience and how it shaped this body of work?

I feel a spiritual connection to India, maybe because my parents used to tell me stories about the Buddha’s life. I would pray to statues of Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma around the village when I was growing up. Our distant ancestors were heavily influenced by Indian traditions and religions, while the new generation of Cambodians are more influenced by Chinese culture. I saw artworks by contemporary Indian artists years ago, and felt they have a strong sense of identity.

It was a special opportunity to do this residency with Akar Praka Gallery in Delhi, India, where I stayed for a month. When I arrived, things were different from what I expected. I visited heritage buildings, temples, and the national museum, and met different local people from all walks of life. I think that Indian people have their own way of living, and share similar thinking despite the different social classes. They value freedom, especially individual freedom, but this also seems to be a kind of pressure or expectation. For this exhibition, I focused on the sentiments people had, instead of the traditions or geography of India.

Leang Seckon, ‘The Weight of Freedom’, 2023, mixed media on canvas, 109.22 x 116.84cm. Image courtesy of the artist.

What do you think has been/is your purpose? And how has it kept you going?

I have three main purposes. First, I work hard for my art and serve this mission of art. I do not have big desires or plans; I think it is unnecessary pressure. I am content with happiness. Currently, I am building a small house, for when I am in my old age. I have a small room for myself and spaces for growing vegetables, plants, and trees. The most important is another space to show my art works.

Second, I hope to see Cambodia on par with other countries, with freedom of expression and moving out from the shadow of colonisation. I wish for us to have our own contemporary art museum for future generations.

Lastly, I hope for better understanding in the world. Improvements in technology have aided in our communication and allowed us to gain more knowledge than ever before. We can even reach further into outer space. In my opinion, heaven is on earth. We should keep taking care of our planet, instead of spending money to develop habitats elsewhere.

Leang Seckon, ‘Journey Crossing the Border’, 2016, mixed media on canvas, 150 x 300cm. Image courtesy of the artist and Rossi & Rossi.

Could you talk about your painting ‘Journey Crossing the Border’ which is in the exhibition ‘Angkor Complex’ at University of Michigan Museum of Art?

Hundreds of ancient statues were stolen and sold across the world amidst the conflicts in Cambodia. ‘Journey Crossing the Border’ shows the journey of three stone statues of gods. The two on the left and right, Vishnu and Krishna, have returned home, while one in the middle is crying and missing home. The two gods who returned to Cambodia are surprised about the changes that have happened while they were away. Krishna, the guardian of farmers, is sad to see that farmers have sold their land, destroyed their ploughs, and have taken their passports to work abroad. Behind the statues is a world connected by new technology that has brought the world closer, such as the internet and aeroplanes. In talking about this painting, I am also crossing the border into different countries to share this knowledge. However, it is a different journey because my journey is one of freedom.

‘Journey Crossing the Border’ was previously shown in my solo exhibition ‘When Head and Body Unite’ (2017) at Rossi & Rossi in Hong Kong. The show dealt with the fragmentation caused by war. Cambodian identity lost its spirit, much like how the heads of many statues were stolen. However, when these heads are reunited with the bodies, there is a sense of awakening and the Khmer spirit is reborn. People across generations are brought together in this meeting of the head and the body, because everyone wants to experience the light of peace. It shows an acceptance of the past and why we must keep doing good and reaching out to each other.

“When these heads are reunited with the bodies, there is a sense of awakening and the Khmer spirit is reborn. People across generations are brought together in this meeting of the head and the body, because everyone wants to experience the light of peace.”

Leang Seckon, ‘When Head and Body Unite’, 2017, exhibition view at Rossi & Rossi, Hong Kong. Image courtesy of the artist.

Are there upcoming projects you wish to share?

Up next, I would like to exhibit a new series of works in Cambodia, in Phnom Penh or Siem Reap. I want to include the songs I have written and recorded using my own voice. I have already written 100 songs but have only sung nine of them live via social media. However, I need to look for suitable venues that allow me to show my paintings and perform music live. I am open to working with any institutional partner who is interested in what I am doing.

I do not have many things in my life, but I am happy with what I have. The things I do besides making art helps me know myself better, and it opens my mind up to love the world more. I love my hometown and Cambodian culture so much. I do not think I can live in another country.

What would be a key piece of advice to young art practitioners (artist, curator, manager etc.)?

Art is like our face. Nature created our faces, noses, mouths, and ears, but we are different. Everyone in the world has a different face, which makes us unique. If we can show our emotions and ideas through unique artworks, it would be amazing. However, it is not easy to express our truth. The artist is a restless provocateur, who follows one’s feelings. After finishing a project, we are excited to find a new one. Our hands are led by the need to express.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Lim Sokchanlina, the artist’s nephew, assisted with the translation from Khmer to English.

Leang Seckon is a part of the exhibition ‘Angkor Complex’ at University of Michigan Museum of Art, which is on view from 3 February to 28 July 2024.

Access the full Midpoint series here.