AsiaLIFE

“There are fewer foreign artists in the developing world compared to the West so it is easier to become known here,” says Sasha Constable. For the British artist, this is a key reason for international artists deciding to pursue their art in Cambodia. “There is not as much competition.”

The flipside is the lack of easy access to the cutting edge of the art world. Magazines and books do not compensate for the richness of culture that museums and galleries have to offer in developed countries. “It can be tough because you are between two worlds,” she says. Also, there is less attention on imported rather than domestic artists. “Here, the focus, naturally and understandably, is on the local artistic talent.”

Sasha believes that being an artist in a developing country carries with it a certain responsibility towards that country. Maybe her viewpoint is influenced by her dual role as educator – she has taught art for over 13 years – and artist. She first came to the Kingdom as an artist in residence for the World Monuments Fund in 2000. Subsequently she turned to teaching at RUFA in 2001, and has been heavily involved in art education and development ever since.

“I fell in love with the country and its people and chose to live here so I believe my way of giving back to Cambodia is to impart as much knowledge to young Cambodian artists as I can,” she says. This knowledge is particularly valuable in parts of society that are still illiterate. “Art can reach a wide audience who might not have had the fortune to learn to read or write, so awareness projects using art are also extremely important.”

At art school in London Sasha completed a sculpture degree, specialising in contemporary stone carving. Her work also extends into printmaking – predominantly lino and woodcuts – and painting, with a particular interest in murals. So with such breadth of vision what does she think of Cambodian art? “The majority of the Cambodian art I see has a distinct identity,” she says. “It still has a beautiful rawness and a depth of narrative.”

However, she sees a higher level of sophistication creeping into artwork in recent years. This she attributes to the artists becoming more experienced and gaining a better understanding of what people want to buy. “Like any country it is a journey for each individual artist to find their own true voice and Cambodia runs deep so I believe it will always imbue a localised sense of identity,” she says.

This distinct identity of Cambodian contemporary art does not yet seem to have found its place into Cambodian society. Few Cambodians buy and collect contemporary fine art – the buyers and collectors are almost exclusively foreigners. Sasha hopes that the Cambodian contemporary art market will evolve in time. “It is important for the young artists to have recognition of their talent from their elders,” she says.

She also sees a clear role for the new art venues that have opened over the last few years, bringing a diversity of creative approaches for young artists to absorb. But the government too could play a role in developing and stimulating fine art by investing in more contemporary public sited monuments as well as community arts centres.

“There is a distinct lack of Cambodian-run spaces to exhibit contemporary art,” she says. “This is a shame as there is a huge pool of talent in Cambodia which is still in need of nurturing.”