THE GREATEST SHOW VAN (Greeting card)

Ever since I started my Candid Cambodia series, I’ve wanted to depict in a single illustration the many performing arts of Cambodia but inspiration was hard to come by. That moment came on the day when my band members and I had to hope onto a mini-van smelling of fermented seafood to perform at a music event in the province of Kampot. Apart from the classical Khmer dances such as Robam Apsara and Robam Mini Mekhala, this artwork also features performers of folk dances such as the Trot Dance (Dance of the Stag) and Chhayam (a drumming procession dance that often features performers in comic masks); as well as a Ting Mong, a large puppet whose body is made of paper wrapped around a woven basket. Other performing arts depicted are Roam Kngaok Pailin (Pailin peacock dance), Sbek Thom (shadow puppets) and the Kola umbrella dance.