Am I Lost? A Hidden Paradise in Chea Sereyroth's Forest

At the Bophana Center in Phnom Penh, a bastion of Cambodian memory, Chea Sereyroth's exhibition « Am I Lost? - Suis-je perdu? » (until March 31, 2026) opens a poetic breach toward a buried paradise.

Through textured canvases of earth, sawdust, and acrylic, the artist from Battambang guides us into a dark forest, a metaphor for intimate and collective questionings about identity, time, and the environment. Selected by Chum Chanveasna for the center's 20th anniversary, this series of works invites a dreamlike reconciliation with oblivion, in a space dedicated to the preservation of Khmer audiovisual heritage.

Toward the Deep and Dark Forest

The artist shares his approach: « When one advances toward the deep and dark forest, it seems that all the others have already crossed it without noticing – perhaps they were not destined to see it. At the heart of this black forest nests an unexpected feeling. For me, my heart feels like it's under a smoky sky, laden with unanswered questions. I stand in this darkness like between the currents of time, my pulse slowing or quickening with each changing moment. The forest is filled with mysterious stories, buried long ago in its depths.

It is a strange path that unfolds magnificently before me: a beautiful illusion mingled with fear. It is a true hidden paradise that emerges before my eyes. It shines with varied colors and forms – vines, grasses, mosses, imposing waterfalls like the Khone Falls, archipelagos, open fields that radiate a melodic light. All these elements compose a « paradisiacal garden » buried deepest, surrounded by black forest and reddish soil, dotted with unknown flowers and plants. Is this what I was seeking? Is this the strange turning point?

Recurring Dreams and Glimmer of Hope

I have reached this place again and again in my dreams, forging a perfect desire to remember it. It is a reconciliation between the mind and the flight of life's cycle, which creates a unique small light – a glimmer of hope for tomorrow. »

Journey Through the Canvases

You can journey there in turn through the paintings exhibited at the Bophana Center, with their diverse elements on the canvas. These works are only a small window onto the immense paradisiacal garden where flowers bloom in the heart, forging meaningful memories. Before them, a feeling of wonder always overwhelms you, as if reliving a scene already visited; this persistent wonder may be the answer… while I still wonder: « Am I lost? Or have I finally arrived at the place I was seeking? »

Context and Organization

This exhibition is co-organized by the Bophana Audiovisual Resource Center and Sna Arts Management, as part of the celebrations for the center's 20th anniversary – a place dedicated to exploring identity, memory, and the passage of time, where the artist participated in the Mémoire workshops in 2008, 2009, and 2012.

Sereyroth's Artistic Thread

Sereyroth's works, inaugurated on February 6, 2026, at 6 p.m., extend his recurring themes: collective memory, rural life, and ecological neglect, seen in recent exhibitions like « Green Umbrage » (2024) or « Immersed in Land & Water ».

Portrait of the Artist

Chea Sereyroth, born in 1990 in Battambang, lives and works in his native province. Trained in painting at Phare Ponleu Selpak from 2005, he participated in 2008 in an international workshop on the memory of the Khmer Rouge regime at the Bophana Center, led by Sera Ing and Vann Nath. Graduated in 2012 from the Battambang Institute of Technology, he has been teaching graphic design at Phare since 2013. Exhibited in Battambang, Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Singapore, Japan, and Australia, he excels in textured landscapes.