Eng Rithchandaneth

Capturing Cambodia’s development through art
By Nabila Giovanna W

Eng Rithchandaneth, ‘Vehaa’, 2019. Photo by Chev Douern. Image courtesy of the artist and TorTim Gallery.

Growing up along the Bassac River in bustling Phnom Penh, Eng Rithchandaneth or Daneth for short is aware of the changes that have taken place in her city and country. Landed houses, remnants of French colonies and open plains are increasingly replaced with skyscrapers and apartment buildings. The city appears glitzy and modern but presents a concern for Daneth. Its rapid urbanisation and development have pushed away marginalised communities from their dwellings and often prioritised private interests over the public. This concern guides Daneth in the making of her artworks.

Eng Rithchandaneth, ‘Colony’, 2020, papier-mâché, wire mesh, glue, variable dimensions, installation view. Image courtesy of the artist and Sa Sa Art Projects.

Eng Rithchandaneth (b. 1993) studied design at SETEC Institute, Phnom Penh before taking art classes at Sa Sa Art Projects. Throughout her practice, she has been consistent in creating artworks that carry social themes, from urbanisation and land concession to the expansion of power. The first artwork she made was for her Pisaot residency at Sa Sa Art Projects, which is an experimental art residency that runs for six to eight weeks at Sa Sa Art Projects space. Titled ‘Hand 101’ (2015), it consists of clay hands in various gestures to show how communities advocate and express themselves. Besides clay, she also explores paper-mâché, fungus and grass seeds to form her artworks. This has resulted in installation works such as ‘Colony’ (2020) at Sa Sa Art Projects, ‘Black Seaweed’ (2020) at ‘Cities’ exhibition in Treeline Gallery and ‘Rooted’ (2019) at Phnom Penh Art & Urban Festival.

Eng Rithchandaneth, ‘Scars’, 2022, paper-mâché, wire mesh and copper pipes, dimensions variable. Image courtesy of the artist and Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay.

Her works have also been exhibited internationally, with the recent one in Singapore at  ‘Shaking Land and Water’ (2022). It is a collaborative exhibition between Esplanade and Sa Sa Art Projects. Singaporean and Cambodian artists are paired as conversation partners to explore the idea of human intervention in nature. Daneth presents ‘Scars’ (2022), a paper-mâché installation of lily pod-looking plants.

Daneth’s role as an artist, art director and set designer gives her the opportunity to deliver messages about her country’s rapid but disintegrating development to a wider audience. In a country where free speech is restricted, she aspires to make her artworks a bridge of communication to highlight the changing social landscape and inspire young Cambodians to do more for their society.

Click here to read our dialogue with Eng Rithchandaneth, where she talks about pursuing a career in the arts, working with large-scale installations and supporting the art scene in Cambodia.