View of “Khvay Samnang: Forest Myth,” 2025. From left: Kapok Wood 1, 2025; Kapok Wood 2, 2025; Kapok Wood 3, 2025.
“With the animal spirits assembled to ignite the jungle’s pralung, hidden narratives came to light, revealing imminent social and ecological threats that mar the livelihood of the Chong and other Indigenous communities in Cambodia. In the series “Dragon Farm,” 2025, wall-hung driftwood turns into elegant sculptures of dragon fruit branches, with the fruit, at various stages of maturity, made of brass. Arranged against the white wall, they resemble ebony brushstrokes of cryptic calligraphy. Dragon fruit monoculture farming has been flagged as detrimental to the environment, because the plant depletes the soil and requires constant energy to maintain. The brass fruits’ imperial golden color and even the word dragon also allude to China, whose active role in provincial Cambodia’s economy and politics––particularly the Belt and Road Initiative––has triggered widespread repercussions on the country’s ecology and its Indigenous people’s way of life.”
Read the full article on Artforum.
