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Unveiling the Inner Artist: InterArts Cabinet of Curiosity

Venghour Than

Growing up as a Khmer teenage boy who lives in a culturally significant country, Cambodia — also known as the “Pearl of Asia” — is truly an honor and a remarkable opportunity. Having a deep appreciation for art and its history in my country has empowered me to become a true artist in my future. Everyday, I enjoy creating new art pieces, watching videos related to art, and researching art history in different regions in Asia.

Dance is another expression I embody as a young artist. Specifically, I am a Khmer Classical dance trainer here in Cambodia, in which dancers of this art form in the past were designated as the ‘living bridges’ between heaven and earth. For my entire journey dance, I learned and experienced an immense amount of knowledge related to spirituality and impactful creation. I realize that “change” is the core I always bring when creating. Forever, I promise to persistently be inspired by my cultural identity and personal story to manifest authentic works.

View some of Venghour's creative work from the fall 2020 semester in the gallery below.

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The Tales in Moni Crystal Ball
By Venghour Than
Robam Kbach Boran, or the Art of Khmer Classical Dance, has existed for more than a millennium in which dancers are designated as the living bridges between heaven and earth. Through their curvilinear movements, which embody the serpentine impression, the dancers bring the prayer from the Khmer people in the land to the Tevoda or the sacred deity, who resides in heaven. The prayer, which reached the divinity of the deity, then returns the people of the land by the dancers. In an agricultural society like Cambodia, reliance on water is vital. Therefore, the dancers’ “primary responsibilities were to perform sacred choreographies believed to invoke the fall of life-giving rains, thus ensuring the fertility and prosperity of the land and the people,” as stated by Prumsodun Ok in The Serpent’s Tails.
Robam Kbach Boran is a sacred art form that is heavily influenced by a mythical dragon or a serpent known as a naga. It is artistically crucial that the dancers aesthetically embody the various features of the naga. In doing so, the dancers are involved in the bending of their bodies. Specifically, the back is arched. The knees bend. The toes curl up. The fingers flex backward, and the elbows flex up. With these characteristics, the dancers move in space, mimicking the fluidity of water and the serpentine impression of the naga. It is as if they are the celestial nymph swimming in the deep ocean. In particular to the naga, this revered creature is narrated in the mythology of Cambodia, “Suvarnabhumi (Khmer: Sovannaphum) or the land of gold” (Ok 32). Every Khmer person believes everyone in the golden land of Cambodia is the descendant of the naga. The myth tells Neang Neak, the daughter of the king of the Naga, married to Preah Thong, who “is none other than a colloquial name for Kaundinya—a brahmin who is the father of the Khmer lunar dynasty” (Ok 23). After their marriage, the naga king presents the couple with a fertile land as a gift for them to commence their lineage and to rule, which is Kampuchea or Cambodia.

In addition to the purpose of Khmer Classical Dance as a motivation for rains to prosper the crops in the country, there is a ubiquitous rain dance called Moni Mekhala Ream Eyso. The dance is deemed as Robam Buong Suong or the offering dance since its identity is to invoke rainfalls. Moni Mekhala Ream Eyso is a dance drama, a dance battle, and a mythological narrative that unveils the birth of rain, lightning, and thunder. It expresses a significant connection between rainfalls and the agriculture of harvesting rice, the main staple for Khmer people, in Cambodia. Additionally, as stated by Ok, Moni Mekhala Ream Eyso is the manifestation of a “cosmological thought” in which “[a]ctions or objects in the profane, physical world are thought to influence the invisible, transcendent world when they imitate its structure” (20).

In the story, three students finished their studies from a highly-respected hermit named Lok Ta Moni Eisey. However, the hermit announces the contest among the three students, mandating them to fill the morning dew in a glass for him. The three students enter the forest to complete their mission of collecting the dew into their glass. Unlike the other two students, Vorachhun (The Earthly Prince) and Ream Eyso (The Storm Demon), who gather the morning dew, drop by drop, from each leaf of every tree in the forest, Moni Mekhala, known as the Goddess of the Ocean, leaves her sbai--a piece of cloth--on the tree’s branch overnight. By the morning, the sbai soaks the dew. Moni Mekhala wrings the piece of cloth, and the liquid fills the glass. Thereby, with her ingenuity, she is the first one who presents a glass of dew to Lok Ta Moni Eisey.

Lok Ta Moni Eisey is satisfied and proud of his three students. He presents each of them a gift by transforming their three glasses of dew into three different objects. “Vorachhun is given a magic dagger, Ream Eyso a diamond ax, and Mekhala a diamond [or crystal] ball that radiates a brilliant light when she holds it” (Ok 20). Because of his burning jealousy, Ream Eyso decides to steal the crystal ball from Moni Mekhala. He first killed Vorachhun, intentionally eliminating his competitor. Moni Mekhala and Ream Eyso commence a colossal battle in the sky. Moni Mekhala throws her crystal ball up to space of sky, emitting dazzling strikes of lightning. Ream Eyso attempts to kill Moni Mekhala by throwing his diamond ax, which cuts through the sky, creating a loud noise of thunder. The unleashed power from lightning strikes and the thunder then forms rains, which fall to the earthly surface, flourishing the rice in Cambodia and reviving the Earthly Prince Vorachhun. After his revival, Vorrachhun joins Moni Mekhala and the other gods and goddesses--the Tevoda. With delight, they form the makara or makar (in Khmer), which is a creature “like crocodiles,” as stated by Steven Darian in The Other Face of the Makara.

Moni Mekhala Ream Eyso dance drama is also an embodiment of feminine and masculine energy. Furthermore, the dance “counter[s] a perceived...a clash between good and evil, honesty and greed,” as stated by Toni Shapiro-Phim in Seasons of Migration. The sacred dance drama presents its story as the mythology of rain, lightning, and thunder, which are vital elements to the prosperity and fertility of Cambodia. In a wider application, the dance is the core of the world’s appearance, showcasing between good and evil. Besides, it communicates the vivid connection between humans and nature and how it plays a role in educating our society.
Bibliography
Ok, Prumsodun. “The Serpent's Tail.” serpentstail.info, 2018.

Darian, Steven. “The Other Face of the Makara.”ArtibusAsiae, vol. 38, no. 1, 1976, pp. 29–36.JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/3250095. Accessed 26 Mar.2021.

Shapiro-Phim, Toni. “Cambodia's ‘Seasons of Migration.’” Dance Research Journal, vol. 40, no. 2, 2008, pp. 56–73. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/20527609. Accessed 26 Mar. 2021.
The Mekong Life
By Venghour Than
Komakata Azuma Bridge - One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (1857)

Artist: Hiroshige Ando 1797-1858

Technique: Woodblock print

Edo Period (1603-1868)

During the Edo period in Japan, there is a flourishing genre of Japanese art known as Ukiyo-e that unveils its cultural aesthetic in the form of woodblock print. The main purpose of Ukiyo-e art was to depict “the inimitable word of the Edo period,” stated by Dale Roylance in Japanese Prints and Illustrated Books. Specifically, the prints mostly feature various subjects such as female characters; scenes from classical narratives and folk tales; landscapes; erotica; and kabuki actors (a classical form of Japanese dance-drama performed by men). The word Ukiyo in the language means “the floating or transient world” while e translates to “picture.” Together, this ancient art form was being practiced in the period to capture the exotic culture that is incredible and strange, and beyond the daily scenery of the society. For the artists of Ukiyo-e, it is the “obsessive pursuit of pleasure in the theater, erotic fantasy, and high fashion” of the society (Roylance 95).

Since the artform is a woodblock printing, different aspects within the process explains a strong collaboration between the artists, the wood cutters, and printers. This collaboration also reveals a sense of complexity of the work production, which is laborious, requiring a sufficient amount of patience and precision. Color is a major element of the printing art that provides the identity to the subjects. In the aspect of landscape printings, the colors immensely enhance the realism of the natural beauty of the different geographical views in the work. In addition, the intricacy of well-defined, bold, flat lines presented in the work is another fundamental element of Ukiyo-e. Their assistance is crucial in offering the precise outlines of the subjects, the expression and the perspective—the different thickness of the lines. Last, the composition of various elements (humans, nature, and architectures) strongly communicates the artists’ ability to comprehend the science of nature and world surrounding them. For instance, the segregation of the foreground, middle ground, and background. The subjects in the foreground are clear, intricate, and huge compared to the elements in the background, which are less-defined and small.

Specifically for many landscape prints in Ukiyo-e, their aesthetic principles, specifically the landscape perspective stated previously, reveals a strong influence of Chinese ink painting during the Southern Tang (618 to 906 A.D), Northern Song (960 to 1127 A.D), and Yuan (1279 to 1368 A.D) dynasties. There are similar traits between the two cultures, Chinese and Japanese, with their interests in landscape art of mountains and human presence. For instance, there is a resemblance between the two artworks with their sharing compositional aspect. One is from China during the Nothern Song dynasty that was attributed to Juran called Xiao Yi Seizing the Lanting by Trickery. Another one is from Japan during the Edo period, painted by Utagawa Kuniyoshi called The Stream of Asazawa in Spring.

For Komakata Azuma Bridge, it is one of the exquisite prints produced by Ando Hiroshige. He became one of the greatest masters of Ukiyo-e. Throughout his entire life, Utagawa Hiroshige created numerous splendid illustration series. It has been estimated that he created more than 5,000 prints. Komakata Azuma Bridge is a print from his series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo in 1857 about a year before his death in 1858. All of ANdo Hiroshige’s works reveals travel and topographical views. His works “established the conventional, and very beautiful, image of serene countryside and picturesque cityscape so intimately associated with 19th-century Japan” (Roylance 107). Komakata Azuma Bridge presents the view of the rainy sky that is seen from the Komakata Hall in Honjo district. In the distance, there is a vast plane of Azuma bridge on the left, several fishing boats, houses in the distance along the river, and a cuckoo bird flying in the sky.

The Mekong Life (2021)

Artist: Venghour Than

Technique: Mixed Media (Watercolor painting and Photography)

The Kingdom of Cambodia

Komakata Azuma Bridge reveals an important way of life in Japan with water. This presentation allows for a response to The Mekong Life to illustrate the living of Khmer people living a long a prominent river known as the Mekong River. In the work, it shows the authentic lifestyle of people residing on floating houses, which is also known as the floating village. The villagers at the site are mostly fishermen whose daily lives highly depends on water which is where they find fish for selling to support their families. Beside rice, fish is another staple for the nation in which it can provide adequate amount of protein to the people.

The work is divided into two sections: the watercolor and the photography sections. The watercolor part shows the view of a small floating village, residing in the body of the Mekong River. The houses are clustered with bamboo sticks coming out of the water. With the straight horizontal lines presenting on the water, it shows how calm the river, which is one purpose of the utilization of line in Ukiyo-e. For the sky, it is a photo of Sunny day. It is almost a perfect interpretation of the monsoon weather in Cambodia in which in most days, they are humid.

The purpose of merging two different mediums (watercolor painting and photography) is to express the sense of time. As a matter of fact, many landscapes printing that were produced during the Edo period served as a traveling resource for those who could not travel. They were like the photographs for the people before the camera was invented. Therefore, creating this mixed media work allows me to communicate the difference of time, how today people can capture numerous picturesque views of the nature, villages, and cities, how in the past, people utilized printing (a traditional, effective platform of copying and distributing) to capture the views and shared with the entire nation.
Bibliography:
ROYLANCE, DALE. “JAPANESE PRINTS AND ILLUSTRATED BOOKS.” The Princeton University Library Chronicle, vol. 49, no. 1, 1987, pp. 94–109. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/26404215. Accessed 7 May 2021.
Utagawa, Kuniyoshi. “Fuji No y Kei.” Home, 1 Jan. 1970, www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2002700076/.
“Xiao Yi Acquiring the ‘Orchid Pavilion Preface’ by Deception.” Juran: Xiao Yi Acquiring the "Orchid Pavilion Preface" by Deception Chinese Art Gallery, China Online Museum, www.chinaonlinemuseum.com/painting-juran-xiao-yi-deception.php.
“Komakata Hall and Azuma Bridge, No. 62 from One Hundred Famous Views of Edo.” Brooklyn Museum, www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/121669.
“Azuma Bridge.” Omeka RSS, tclibrary.omeka.net/exhibits/show/trinity-college-art-collection/item/144.
Wanczura, Dieter. “Komakata Azuma Bridge - One Hundred Famous Views of Edo - Hiroshige Ando 1797-1858.” Artelino, Artelino GmbH, 1 Oct. 2018, www.artelino.com/show/japanese_single_print.asp?mbk=17698.
The Inflamed Mythical Goose Tail
By Venghour Than
The Khmer ornaments are the classical decorative motifs that were ubiquitously utilized for many architectural wonders in Cambodia during previous periods. All the motifs share the same idealistic form in which they express the curvilinear movements of lines, and that expression imitates the movement of nature itself. For instance, we can observe the inspiration of Khmer ornaments are the basic shapes of flowers, shells, and animals, both real and mythical creatures, that are discovered in the country. According to KBACH: A Study of Khmer Ornament written by Chan Vitharin and Preap Chanmara, professors of the Royal University of Fine Arts in Cambodia, the ornaments being expressed are translated to kbach in the Khmer language, and the word derives from the root word kaich, which means to break or to cut. Therefore, it is evident that the kbach we have witnessed on the walls, door frames, pillars, and roofs are the reflection of the ‘breaking’ movements of nature.

One of the most well-known basic shapes of Khmer ornaments is Kbach Trobok Chhuk, which is the lotus petal shape. Lotus flowers in Buddhist civilization like Cambodia are considered sacred and pure. Lotus flowers in the religious practice act as an offering for the Buddha in Pagodas. Furthermore, the blooming lotus flower is one of the symbolic representations of the Buddha's presence, among other symbolic elements such as the footprint, the dharma wheel, the railings, and the bodhi tree. The demonstration of purity also embeds in the lotus flower. It is believed that the flower grows from the muddy water, suggesting the idea of impurity; however, the act that the lotus can beautifully flourish in the impure environment communicates the expression of purity, explaining that there is always the presence of good in the presence of evil. These beliefs and narratives revealed in lotus flowers radiate the power of its kbach, which exquisitely shows its cultural significance and identity as a decorative element.

There are myriads of kbach in Khmer ornaments. The work I presented here is called “The Inflamed Mythical Goose Tail.” It is not an original work, but an imitation from one of the Khmer ornaments I saw in Kbach A Study of Khmer Ornament. In the book, instructions for learning to draw various kbach are provided, from practicing the drawing of the basic shapes to more advanced, intricate motifs. Yet, every sophisticated and intricately complex ornament always starts with the basic shape; then, it progresses to the modification and the addition of details. For “The Inflamed Mythical Goose Tail,” its basic shape is known as the cluster of leaves. With the addition of small details within and surrounding the shape, the composition reveals the entire shape of a mythical goose tail shape. Even though an artist needs to be attentive to the details, the beginning of drawing this kbach is minimal. As shown in the drawing, you start with geometric lines to form little squares, rectangles, and a triangle. Next, you draw the basic shapes; in this case, it is the cluster-of-leaves shape. Last, you need to attentively and precisely fill in the details of different kbach into the interior space of the shape.

Besides learning how to draw small, simple shapes of Khmer ornament, I have never attempted to draw complex ones. Due to its rigid principles with shapes, lines, space, and motifs, I sense confusion. However, after finishing this work, I felt more confident in allowing myself to immerse myself into another cultural and artistic aspect of my country as a Khmer person. It is the “something out of nothing” itself that allows me to accomplish this achievement. I had never expected to produce work related to expressing the Khmer Ornaments because it had never been in my circle of passion, but now it is something. I see the inspirations from the ancient decorative motifs in my future work.
Bibliography:
CHAN, Vitharin, and Preap Chanmara. KBACH: A Study of Khmer Ornament. Phnom Penh: Reyum Publishing, 2005.
Seng, Sidaro. “History: About the Image of the Swan in Religion and Related to the Creation of the World of the Four Dharmas: Mercy, Mutita and Abstinence.” Krong Lungvek News, 13 Sept. 2018, kronglungvek.blogspot.com/2018/09/blog-post_13.html.
Dear Ayouba
By Venghour Than
Dear Ayouba,

Honestly, I encountered a challenging time with creating the gift for you because I tend to put a lot of effort into my creation for every person I see precious. I realized that we have not met in person, to have proper and fun conversations and be a great friend for each other. Yet, I always knew that you are a special as person. Since the first moment I met you in our first InterArts seminar, I wholeheartedly sense your affection, openness, and vulnerability. I vividly remembered your expression towards my summer project, which was supportive and beautiful. Thank you for your honesty and amiability. Your kind spirit incredibility illuminates my experience at Trinity College. Therefore, this gift I worked on is a dedication for you. It is my expression of gratitude.

The gift is a watercolor painting with the elaboration of one-line art. I painted a portrait of you that is enhanced with Cambodian classical ornaments of flowers which is visually elaborative and expressive. You would probably wonder about the valuable object in the gift, specifically the painting. First of all, before creating the work, I deeply considered about the object and the idea of transformation for gift. I focused on the belief with utilizing the existing material I possess that permits to spill my love for creativity and impact. I realized there is one object, besides my body for dancing and performing, that could provide me its fullest vitality in executing the work—the love. The object is the watercolor material.

I began to paint various images with watercolor materials in 2015. Since then, I never stop and persist to admire the magic of watercolor. In my heart and spirit, watercolor painting is a flexible and an expressive art from akin to ink painting executed in the past, especially during the Tang Dynasty in China and Japan’s Nara period. Water is the main transportation for the pigments or color of the paint, which is why the given name of this art is ‘watercolor.’ In numerous historical civilizations even today, water is a symbolism or an iconography to the society’s religious belief and rituals. For instance, water is predominantly deemed sacred during the 12th and 13th centuries of the Angkor Empire, Cambodia. During their reigns, emperors would construct different infrastructures to create a water system that was connected to the main source of water in nature like waterfalls from mountains and hills. On the Kulen Mountain, there is an immense waterfall in which its water flows down the mountain and disperses in small water paths in the surrounding area, supporting the villagers’ livelihood on agriculture. Along the flow, there are reliefs of Linga in Hinduism, a representation of Lord Shiva or Preah Eyso, which is believed to purify the water with Lord Shiva’s divinity, therefore become sacred. People who wash their face and body there will attain purification and bon (goodness).

This is one aspect I perceive from my watercolor material, how history and spiritual belief contribute to its aesthetic ability. It is always special to be aware of the uniqueness of the object I possess, understanding how this art material—the function, beauty, and the medium, invokes, retells, and creates connections with history. Understanding water is the foremost elements in the art material and how it reveals its necessity as religious embodiment and life support in society around the world, the spirit of the watercolor art is magnificent.

Honestly, with the perception of watercolor and its vitality, I rarely utilize this art material for leisure. Most of the time, I merely use watercolor to create works that can speak history, narratives, love, and impact, as previously asserted. An example, I painted Moni Mekhala (Goddess of the Ocean) with watercolor because I saw this beauty in the art material that can glorify the embodiment of the painting’s subject. Since Moni Mekhala is the goddess of water and ocean, watercolor painting would be the ideal decision to execute her image: using the goddess’ power to express her divinity and character. Water is the key.

Therefore , for the gift, I painted Ayouba with watercolor because I sensed the same reaction when I painted Moni Mekhala. I perceived Ayouba’s spirit as water that obtains great affection and empathy. I trust this belief, and when I executed this vision, the result unveiled a strong sense power and beauty. The moment I painted his skin, I allowed the water to flow at its peace and freedom so that this permission because the subject’s identity and spirit.

Ayouba, I hope you love this artwork I dedicated to you. I hope you understand the narratives and history I encountered when creating this portrait. Thank you for always being an incredible person and friend.

Thank you,

Venghour Than

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Venghour Portrait