Art and design hotel Treeline Urban Resort recently opened along the Siem Reap River. Part of its remit is to support, nurture and promote local artists, and so the resort is built around an open-air gallery and houses a permanent collection of art by some of the country’s foremost artists. There are also plans to initiate a foundation to support the country’s aspiring artists.
Currently on view at Treeline Gallery is Ti Prasap (meaning ‘confluence’ in English), an exhibition of seldom-seen contemporary Cambodian art curated from the private collection of Larry Strange, an Australian collector who’s lived in Cambodia for the last 15 years. Strange’s collection, acquired over decades, includes works by renowned Cambodian artists like Svay Ken, Pich Sopheap, Kvay Samnang and Kchao Touch.
We spoke with curator Meta Moeng about the works on show, the country’s art scene, and her vision to contribute to its growth through Treeline’s programming and initiatives.
Installation view of Ti Prasap at Treeline Gallery
Khchao Touch, With a body comes suffering, 2009. Tissue paper, wire, oil painting. Image courtesy of Larry Strange and the artist
Khvay Samnang, Untitled, 2011. Digital C-print, 80 x120cm. Image courtesy of Larry Strange and the artist
Oeur Sokuntevy, Untitled, 2006. Mixed media, 107 x 90cm. Image courtesy of Larry Strange and the artist
Svay Ken, Electrical Lines, 2007. Oil painting on canvas, 100 x 80cm. Image courtesy of Larry Strange and the artist