Sangkae River 4891

By exploring dark/light relationships through a ‘value’ scale, these ‘impressions’ structurally manifest in a way partially influenced by traditions of Chinese painting. Here, the river is vast yet unifying, creating a horizontal void that represents two riverbanks joined by water. I like to view this as symbolic of Cambodia’s reconciliation and peace after years of civil war. Communities arise as populations merge along the banks of the kingdom’s rivers. Yet Cambodia’s present remains imperfect, just as my piece here: A faultless lotus stamp is when its crisp and clean, but a break in the stalk creates an accumulation of ink. Subsequently, as seen here, the perfection of the imperfection repeats en masse. Counting and recording the impressions has been the catalyst for a spiritual meditative state of mind in this creative process.

This, the final work in a series exploring the energies and organics of life in Cambodia, depicts the ebb and flow of Tonle Sap’s waterways, the lifeblood of that nation. Its symbolic depiction, rather than pictorial representation, and has been created from 4891 lotus stem impressions using ‘lotus ink’ brewed from temple offerings i.e. discarded blessings.