Beyond Clichés: Mural no. 1
at ULS's Rose Apple Square, Siem Reap
SIEM REAP ACADEMY building:
The village
MURAL COMMISSION // april 10, 2024 // C. KEO
Early this year I had the privilege of being commissioned by ULS (Urban Living Solutions), a renowned real estate and lifestyle development company, to create three captivating murals for their groundbreaking new project, a unique complex of co-living and co-working spaces: Rose Apple Square, in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
BRIEFING
For this project it was most important to move beyond the clichés and embrace the true diversity of Cambodian culture. We made a conscious decision to step away from the oversaturated use of Angkor Wats and Apsara imagery.
While these icons are undoubtedly important, Cambodia is a rapidly developing nation, and it’s crucial that we expand our creative palette to reflect this evolution.
This is exactly what I’m aiming for with RYYSA.
CONCEPT
For this particular project the client asked to capture typical Khmer traditions. Keywords like ordinary people, rural, Tonlé Sap and tradition were crucial.
What I’d proposed was to portray a village of little people that could live among us, underneath the plants in our homes, along the streets or wherever there are plants.
The story of all three walls takes place around this village.
Wall dimension: 4.5 x 7.2 m
Behind the Artwork
This mural shows an overall view of this village where the little people work, play and enjoy life together. On the top left, in front of the spirit house, you see a family sitting.
The child on the left greets the elders with a traditional gesture of respect by joining hands. Something I remember learning to do as a kid too. On his right an older man is lifting his spoon to invite the child to eat.
Both gestures are daily habits in Cambodia. Every time we eat, we eat together and we’ll ask outsiders to eat with us.
Moreover, I wanted to draw attention to the craftsmanship of Khmer people. In the middle, a child slides from a leaf in a boat made from banana leaves.
Creating things with banana leaves is a common practice found throughout our culture. This is how e wrap our meals, make little baskets, and so on.
Another old tradition made from banana leaves that dates back to the Angkor era, are called Bandeat Pratip. These are being created on the bottom left corner of this mural.
Bandeat Pratips are small floating rafts created by ordinary people, to set out on the water to wish for luck. Mural no. 2 will emphasize this tradition more.
