Svay Sareth

Born in Battambang in 1972, Sareth studied Fine Art at the École des Beaux-Arts de Beauvais and Caen in France, where he earned a degree in fine arts in2009. He returned to Cambodia after his studies and has since contributed significantly to the development of contemporary art and arts education in the country. His multidisciplinary practice includes sculpture, installation, drawing, video, and durational performance, and is rooted in personal experiences of war, displacement, survival, and resistance.

 

Sareth’s recent works investigate the relationship between history and public monuments. His soft sculptures of Asuras, Apsaras, Garudas, and wings combine Cambodian cultural imagery with camouflage patterns and contemporary political references. These figures take various forms, suggesting that national symbols are never neutral: they carry the traces of power, conflict, belief, and competing interpretations of the past. 

 

In 2016, Sareth received both the Prudential Eye Award for Best Emerging Artist Using Sculpture and the Overall Best Emerging Artist Award. His works are held in major collections including the Singapore Art Museum, the National Gallery of Victoria, MAIIAM, and SM Contemporary Art Museum.