Between 2004 and 2014, the Southeast Asian nation of Cambodia saw a 326% increase in tourism, with backpackers and jetsetters alike coming to explore its mythic temples. Saron Phen, an oil painter in Siem Reap, has capitalized on the tourism boom since 2003, using his shop in the Central Art Night Market to introduce tourists to the Khmer way of life.
“I want to show people around the world Khmer culture,” he said. “I want them to understand it through my paintings of Angkor Wat, Apsara dancing, harvesting palm sugar, floating villages, mountains, and the Tonle Sap Lake.”
Saron Phen was born on October 26th, 1979, shortly after the Khmer Rouge genocide ended. His parents, left impoverished by the violence, decided to leave their son with an elderly woman in Kampongchan Province. It was there that he lost sight in one eye.
“I was playing outside and fell. At that moment, a stick pierced my eye, and I haven’t been able to see out of it since. It doesn’t hinder my painting...I just need to take care of the good eye I do have!”
Mr. Phen recalls his childhood in Kampongchan Province fondly. “When I was twelve, I would draw in the dirt with a stick. I loved that. We didn’t have classes in my village, so I started learning to draw from books and movies. In the local market, they had a few art texts, but my mother said they were too expensive.”
But it was paintings of “Victory Day,” when the Khmer Rogue fell, that taught him the political importance of art. “When I was twelve, I saw those paintings showing the defeat of the Khmer Rogue. That taught me that art has power. It is how humans pass on a legacy from one generation to the next.”
That revelation inspired him to improve his work. In 1999, he was accepted into the Phnom Penh University of Fine Arts, where he studied for four years. His primary teacher was Sophan Narith, an oil painter who made a career selling paintings to hotels and restaurants. Mr. Phen now honors his mentor by selling his work in the shop, which has been in operation since 2003.
In The Central Art Night Market, Mr. Phen has enjoyed considerable success. During the high season, which runs from September to January, he sells about ten pieces per week, with a 60 x 80 cm canvas selling for about $35. He hopes to boost his low season earnings by running classes for expats and locals. Currently, most of his customers are from Germany or France, and he has plans to launch a website that will allow him to connect further with customers overseas. “Stilt houses are my favorite thing to paint,” he said, referring to an architectural style that is commonly seen in rural provinces. “It’s my favorite aspect of Khmer life.”
Today, Mr. Phen has two interns, both in their mid-twenties. He considers teaching the trade and collaboration an important part of what he does. “Of course I want to collaborate with other tourism-focused artists in Siem Reap. That helps improve my work,” he said. “We often get ideas from each other, and which is why you see similarities in the souvenir shops’ inventories. But the most important thing is passing down our heritage through painting. It’s an honor to be a part of that process.”