Phnom Penh, 1972-1975: A unique perspective by Colin Grafton unveiled at the SOSORO Museum

Until 31 August 2025, the SOSORO Museum in Phnom Penh invites visitors to take a striking journey into Cambodia between 1972 and 1975, through the lens of British photographer Colin Grafton. This temporary exhibition, the result of close collaboration between the museum and the photographer, unveils a series of rare photographs that reveal the daily life, streets, and atmosphere of a country on the brink of collapse.

Colin Grafton: Traveller and witness to a turbulent era

Born in London in 1947, Colin Grafton set off for Asia in 1969 with his camera in hand. After teaching English in Laos from 1970 to 1972, he settled in Cambodia, where he passionately documented the lives of the people of besieged Phnom Penh and the turmoil of the civil war.

His photographic work embraces both the ordinary and the extraordinary, immortalising, for example, the search for precious stones in Pailin, an unusual activity that symbolises the resilience of the Cambodian people.

Grafton also witnessed one of the last performances of Khmer classical dance before the fall of Phnom Penh and maintained a deep connection with Cambodian performing arts throughout his life.

After fleeing to Bangkok when the Khmer Rouge arrived, he continued his career as a teacher and advisor for UNESCO in Japan and worked in Cambodian refugee camps in Thailand.

In 1981, he presented his first exhibition on Cambodia in the United Kingdom.

He settled permanently in Phnom Penh in 2014 and now works to preserve Cambodian memory and culture alongside his partner Keiko Kitamura.

SOSORO: A museum, a living memory

Since 2012, the SOSORO Museum has established itself as a key place for understanding the history of Cambodia through the prism of its economy and currency. Housed in a restored former municipal building, it immerses visitors in 2,000 years of history through interactive modules, permanent exhibitions and workshops. The institution, funded by the National Bank of Cambodia, seeks to create a dialogue between the past and the present, placing political and economic interdependence and resilience at the heart of its approach.

This new exhibition, designed as a journey between war and normality, displays unique images of a besieged Phnom Penh. As Blaise Kilian, co-director of the museum, points out:

"These rarely seen photographs offer a unique perspective on the daily lives of the inhabitants while the city was under siege, but also on more unusual scenes such as gem cutting in Pailin. They are a tribute to the Cambodian people's ability to cope with adversity."

Between bubble and chaos: The photographer's eye

The visual narrative developed by Colin Grafton gives this exhibition a special power. He himself said at the opening:

‘Phnom Penh in 1974 was like a bubble cut off from the world. These photos reveal the striking contrast of that era and the façade of normality that still enveloped the capital.’

Through their sensitivity and documentary precision, the images amaze and question a society's ability to preserve its bearings in times of extreme uncertainty.

Resilience, culture and transmission

Grafton's photographs are not mere historical testimonies: they remind us of the power of art to overcome adversity. In refugee camps, he also immortalises efforts to rebuild traditions, teach dance and reunite families that had been fragmented by conflict and uprooting.

Practical information

• Dates: 16 to 31 August 2025

• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• Location: SOSORO Museum (entrance on 102 Phnom Penh Street)

• Admission: free

Meetings and conferences are also scheduled, notably on 23 and 24 August at 4pm, offering history and photography enthusiasts the opportunity to talk with the organisers and, perhaps, the photographer himself.