Book & Arjay Stevens: The Gaze of a Photographer between Dance, Water, and Memory

Phnom Penh continues to attract the gaze of the artistic world. On October 26, 2025, the Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra will host an exceptional event: a meeting with Arjay Stevens, internationally acclaimed photographer praised by His Majesty the King as well as by the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts of Cambodia.

Through a body of work that blends grace, movement, and light, Stevens offers a rare gaze on Cambodian dance and its contemporary echoes.

Born into a universe where aesthetics dialog with emotion, Arjay Stevens has traveled across continents, from Paris to Tokyo, from New York to Phnom Penh, before anchoring his lens in the kingdom. His artistic approach is based on a conviction: photography is not just an archive of the moment, but a breathing of time. With patience and respect, he captures the breath of dancers, the vibration of water, the silent poetry of gestures.

His book-collection, at the heart of this meeting, condenses several years of work around four major series: Classical to Contemporary Dance in Cambodia, Global Chair, Water, and Billboards. Each explores a facet of the relationship between body, space, and contemporary Cambodian society. In this work, Stevens pays tribute to the masters of royal dance while revealing the new generation of choreographers and performers who reinvent the aesthetic codes of the classical. He also transforms a vital element into a universal metaphor: the fluidity, transparency, and quiet strength of traditions.

The artist will be present at the Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra, Ballroom 2, from 3:30 PM, for a friendly exchange with the public. Admission is free and open to all, offering a rare opportunity to engage with one whose work builds a bridge between photography, memory, and living culture.

The event promises to be a moment of inspiration, at the crossroads of image and movement, where each snapshot becomes a visual poem — an invitation to contemplate, feel, and share.

Free entry — October 26, 2025, 3:30 PM, Ballroom 2, Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra, Sothearos Blvd, Phnom Penh.