Apsara Grannies of Phnom Penh: Timeless Grace Illuminates the National Museum

At the Musée National de Phnom Penh, a rare and moving celebration unfolds: "Apsara Grannies," an exhibition where the beauty, dignity, and resilience of eight elderly women become a vibrant tribute to Cambodia’s golden age.

Proudly wearing the iconic costumes of the danseuses apsaras – these celestial beings embodying the grace and splendor of Khmer identity – our "grannies" write a new chapter in Cambodia's museum history, guided by the intergenerational creativity of the Cambodian Children’s Fund (CCF) and the passionate commitment of devoted partners. On Saturday, October 18, under the red frescoes of the museum, the public shared a moment with these everyday heroines to listen to their stories and discover exceptional works created alongside CCF students. This is a deep dive behind the scenes of an inspiring initiative that restores strength, meaning, and visibility to Cambodia’s golden age.

When age becomes art: the spirit of the exhibition

The "Apsara Grannies" exhibition is not just a simple portrait gallery: it presents a living fresco, where art becomes a vehicle of recognition for those who too often fade from the collective story. Each of the eight selected elders shines before the lens, dressed in golden silk, traditional diadems, and richly colored fabrics. The sensitivity of the photographers from the FeelTheWarmth.org collective is evident in every shot: wrinkles and calloused hands testify to a full life, and smiles radiate shared joy.

Alongside them, the works of young artists from the CCF engage in a tender and admiring dialogue. These original compositions – drawings, watercolors, collages – express the gratitude of the younger generations toward maternal and grandmotherly figures in Cambodia. "It is a way to give back the rightful place to the elders, to finally offer them a space where they are not only seen but celebrated," says a member of CCF.

Apasara grannies, symbols of regained dignity

The "Apsara Grannies" represent battered destinies: mothers of orphans, victims of war or exile, workers, peasants. But in each portrait, only pride, nobility, and intact beauty dominate the composition.

This approach resonates deeply in a country where veneration of elders is a cultural pillar, but poverty still condemns many older women to oblivion, even precarity. According to Cambodia’s Ministry of Social Affairs, a large proportion of the elderly population still lives below the poverty line. The exhibition aims to overturn the victimizing discourse: "We insist, through this project, on the strength of women and on intergenerational transmission," explains Sopheap, coordinator for TDB Projects.

A collaborative project and a popular celebration

One of the unique aspects of this exhibition is the active involvement of multidisciplinary teams: photographers and artists from the FeelTheWarmth.org collective, educators from CCF, volunteers from TDB Projects, as well as the caring staff of the National Museum. Together, they build bridges between generations, between rural and urban worlds, between traditional art and social commitment.

The schedule of this community adventure is woven into the living fabric of Phnom Penh: the public opening took place on Saturday, October 18, from 2 pm to 4 pm, attended not only by artists but also by student-artists from CCF. A rare opportunity for the public to hear the stories directly, to understand the motivations behind each portrait – and to discover, in one room, the irresistible vitality of these exceptional grandmothers.

Impact, heritage, and transmission: voices of grandmothers and student testimonies

Meeting the "Apsara Grannies" means diving into 80 years of living memory. For many, the traditional costume had not been worn since their youth. "I thought I was forgotten, erased... When I saw myself dressed as an apsara, my heart became young again," confides Mae Srey, 76, one of the exhibition’s models. The portraits are accompanied by short biographical texts, written hand in hand with CCF students, tracing their life journeys, often fraught with hardships: wars, forced labor, exile to Phnom Penh, solitude.

For the young artists, the creative process became an initiatory experience. "I rediscovered my country’s history through the eyes of these grandmothers," testifies Chenda, a 17-year-old high school student. "It is a great honor to have worked alongside them and to help restore pride to our whole community."

The strength of intergenerational bonds and Cambodian values

The exhibition echoes anthropological research conducted on the central role of respect for elders in Southeast Asia. Rituals of gratitude, Buddhist notions of karma and merit, but also the crucial role of older women in the transmission of intangible heritage (stories, dance, religion, medicine) find a brilliant expression here.

By associating elderly women with the eternal figure of the apsara – an iconic motif in the Angkor frescoes – the curatorial team reminds us that beauty neither fades with youth nor poverty: it is nourished by history, dignity, and connection to others.

A universal message, an invitation: exhibition open until November 8

If one were to draw a unique message from this project, it would be this: human dignity knows no age boundary, no limit of beauty. The "Apsara Grannies" remind everyone that every wrinkle, every transferred gesture, is part of building a more inclusive and supportive future.

The exhibition is open until November 8 at the National Museum of Phnom Penh. Admission is free during usual opening hours; guided visits in Khmer and English are available upon simple request at reception.

Beyond the works, the real wealth of the project lies in encounters, spontaneous exchanges between generations, and the luminous gaze of these women who have become icons of Cambodia’s living heritage.