By Liwen Tan
The story of CamCam began in 2017, when Joshua drew his first “Motor” artwork for a greeting card. The illustration of families, animals, and goods piled onto a small motorbike was so Cambodia that people instantly loved it! This encouraged Joshua to create more Cambodia-themed artwork, and our collection of greeting cards and prints slowly grew.
At the time, without a shop of our own, we were grateful to our retail partners who helped bring our work to the community and tourists. Back then, we were known as Cerealbox Shop.
In April 2024, we opened our very own shop in the heart of Siem Reap town and renamed it CamCam by Joshua Chiang. We chose the name “CamCam” because everything we create is inspired by Cambodia, and “CamCam” comes from the first three letters of Cambodia. As for the “by Joshua Chiang” part — that’s purely for branding, because the work behind CamCam is truly more than one person.
OUR FAMILY
Now our CamCam family is complete with our two amazing sales assistants — Kim Lang (dressed as a 1990s rapper for Halloween), Vuthyka (our Super Mario!), and of course, Pullo, our mascot dog, who has finally learned that he’s a shop dog and not a guard dog.
OUR MAKERS
Beyond paper products like art prints and cards, we’ve expanded into fabric items, t-shirts, tumblers, and mugs. Many of these are created in partnership with incredible social enterprises in Cambodia. We chose to work with them for their excellent craftsmanship, and also because they serve the community and provide fair employment opportunities.
Wattan Artisans
Every pouch, wallet, tote bag, cushion cover, and coaster in our shop is handmade by Watthan Artisans Cambodia (WAC) — a worker-run cooperative of artisans with disabilities based at Wat Than Pagoda. Their mission is to improve livelihoods through training and employment, empowering people with disabilities to play an active role in Cambodia’s development.
Cambodia Knits
Our crochet toys are handmade by Cambodia Knits, a social enterprise working with marginalized communities in and near Phnom Penh. They produce beautiful, high quality and unique hand-made products while providing fair and flexible employment opportunities. They believe women have the power to break the intergenerational cycles of poverty, to contribute to their communities and change the world.
Baray for Life
We work with Baray for Life to create eco-friendly bottles that celebrate Cambodian culture through designs by local artists. Part of the proceeds funds the distribution of free reusable aluminum bottles to schoolchildren in rural Cambodia—reducing single-use plastic and promoting environmental awareness. The Bayon Series, designed by Joshua Chiang, features artwork inspired by the 12th-century bas-reliefs of Bayon Temple.
OUR COMMUNITY
When we first arrived in Siem Reap, we tried to help street kids by buying them ice cream—but soon realized the problem ran deeper. Now, we raise funds for REACH Siem Reap, a local NGO that supports over 500 impoverished children from Siem Reap with English education and nutritious meals. They also provide rice to families in exchange for keeping their children in school instead of sending them to beg on the streets. Joshua busks outside our shop every Thursday, 8pm to 9:45pm, to help raise funds for their work.
