Sra’Art Gallery at Six Years: The Artistic Emotion of Cécile Eap Berg

Christophe Gargiulo
Oct 19
7 min read

On the occasion of the sixth anniversary of the Sra'Art gallery, Cambodge Mag highlights the journey of the founder Cécile, who has spared no effort to animate her gallery in times that were exceedingly difficult.

It was at the very beginning of Sothearos Boulevard in Phnom Penh that the young Franco-Cambodian opened the art gallery, Sra’Art, which aims to be the first initiative fully devoted to promoting Cambodian contemporary artists.

In a clean, light-filled setting, with two floors of gallery space, Sra’Art experienced, a few months after its opening, an influx and a growing reputation before the pandemic made things a bit more difficult. But the passionate founder did not give up and multiplied initiatives to keep the momentum alive.

For Cécile Eap Berg, Cambodia was in great need of a commercial gallery, offering varied initiatives, and giving artists a dedicated space that, for the most talented, could become a first step towards a more international career. Interview with a passionate entrepreneur of art and artists:

CM: Before the gallery, tell us a little about yourself, Cécile

My name is Cécile Eap Berg, because, in fact, I kept my Cambodian family name. I have a Cambodian father and a French mother. I was born in France, but I have come to Cambodia throughout my life. My father was the first in the family to return after the war. Since 1987, he made several trips to the country for stays ranging from a few weeks to several months. And, after a while, he decided to bring us with him. I made many round trips. My father was fortunate to be outside Cambodia when the war broke out. He really wanted to see his country again; it was a real trauma to be away for several years.

We lived in France, and as soon as the country opened up again, he came back to see what had become of the kingdom. This allowed me to see Cambodia change completely. I especially saw it through the eyes of a child, so even though I didn’t grow up here permanently, I came often enough to feel Cambodian.

CM: Did you speak Khmer?

My father never spoke Khmer to me. I learned the language very recently, so I have a strong French accent.

CM: What is your educational background?

I am originally an audiovisual producer. I trained in Paris. I have worked with artists all my life. Indeed, it is a field with many egos, but it is precisely essential to know how to navigate this environment to understand the artistic spirit. So I had a very active cultural life in Paris, punctuated by many visits to Cambodia. Paris is still quite a great city for culture.

Sra’Art 9 boulevard Sothearos, Phnom Penh

CM: When did you decide to settle in Cambodia?

The final move was decided four years ago. But I was already used to living in Asia. It allowed me to observe that cultural events related to contemporary art were less frequent in this region than in Europe. I was working at the time for a company that provided lighting for events. I was then sent to the USA. This also allowed me to see the evolution of the gallery scene.

"I have the ambition to offer an art gallery of international standard that provides a good platform for artists used to exhibiting worldwide."

In major Western cities, the art world, especially galleries, was quite standardized and elitist. I then noticed that things were changing. In Washington or New York, for example, there are large galleries that have decided to open up to the general public. It is a step towards the "democratization of art." Today, exhibitions and other cultural events of the same kind address a broader audience. This approach interested me greatly, as I saw people who were not initially necessarily great art lovers become loyal gallery clients.

CM: How was the return?

I was assessing the situation a bit to consider a project. I first worked for the BBC. But finally, I did not want to continue in the audiovisual sector. The market in Cambodia is already quite crowded. However, this initial activity allowed me to meet incredible people and talents, very young and ambitious artists, who had a lot of ideas to express.

Cécile, an entrepreneur passionate about art and artists

Many artists I met while working for the BBC practiced their art as a hobby. Few of them envisaged a career. I also noticed that many talents exhibited within the numerous existing galleries in the Cambodian capital. There are many, but there is no commercial gallery in Phnom Penh. I believe I am the only one to have opened one in Phnom Penh. There are absolutely splendid galleries in Phnom Penh, but it is a totally different model from the pure art gallery that promotes and sells works of art. The approach is completely different. I do not denigrate them; on the contrary, the more galleries of this kind, hotels, cafes, and others, the more choices artists have to exhibit.

"I chose a fairly clean concept, which is professional and elegant, and which allows an intelligent and practical use of space."

There are also more and more Cambodian artists with an international aura, people who follow them, interested collectors, who exhibit abroad and prefer to exhibit in Cambodia in a commercial gallery. I have the ambition to offer an art gallery of international standard that provides a good platform for artists used to exhibiting worldwide.

I realized that there was a growing market. Of course, such an approach is always risky. We are pioneers, we have to educate the artists, accustom the public, but there is a growing demand. Many local artists need to become familiar with a gallery exclusively dedicated to art sales. The approach is significantly different from what they know so far. Events are also important to promote art. There are now arts tours in Cambodia, which is relatively recent.

CM: Are Cambodians becoming contemporary art lovers?

The new generation has the means, the time to travel and buy works of art abroad. Today, they can do it locally. However, this is a fairly recent trend. The approach appeared in the last five years. Many young people today have the possibility to see what is happening abroad, via the internet or by traveling, and have the opportunity to open up to many fields to which their parents did not have access. And, the outlook of young Cambodians is becoming different in terms of art.

CM: When did you decide to launch the Sra’Art project?

The final decision appeared in 2018. I first looked for a suitable neighborhood for this type of business. It was fortunate; this area is the old art district. It is close to the national museum, rue 178 with its small classic Cambodian galleries, Meta House, and Java Café are not far, and it creates an emulation during festivals, for example... We do not grow up alone, so it is an ideal place. There was a year of work to change the layout of the space, and it was necessary to work on the design with the architect. I chose a fairly clean concept, which is professional and elegant and allows intelligent and practical use of space.

CM: And the opening took place...

The gallery opened its doors on October 25, 2021, with the Phnom Penh Photo Festival. We received very positive feedback. The attendance became quite good as the exhibitions went on. At the opening of the Cambodian Urban Arts, the street had to be closed due to the crowd. With the photo festival, we exhibited ten Cambodian artists. It was a beautiful story, as we also welcomed the Swiss artist Anna Katharina Scheidegger, who had participated in the first edition of the festival. She had organized a workshop at the time and therefore reunited with her former students for the 2019 edition.

CM: What is the commercial strategy?

We had quite a few sales during these different exhibitions. The idea is to create traffic with relatively short exhibitions, from 4 to 6 weeks. For this, we need to create varied platforms. We develop our program by seeking partnerships and individually promoting artists; the approach is mixed. We operate in cycles of three to four exhibitions. There can also be unforeseen events. During the passing of His Royal Highness Princess Norodom Buppha Devi, we modified our program to pay tribute to her. Being a company dedicated to art, I wanted to offer an event in her honor.

CM: What is the price range for the exhibited works?

The price of a locally produced work is very variable. For Phnom Penh Photo, for example, photographers with some notoriety had prices ranging from 1000 to 5000 US dollars.

Some Cambodian photographers are present in London, followed by collectors, and sell their works between 12 and 25,000 US dollars. But a career is necessary; those who succeed today did not explode overnight. They started modestly; people invested in their works, and this allowed the artist to evolve and establish themselves.

CM: What is the success criterion for an artist?

The primary reason for a sale is the quality of the work. But talent can remain unknown if it is not supported. I think a well-guided artist can go very far, including in Cambodia.

CM: Are you exclusive?

We are open to all creators, with a quality requirement though. Again, the primary objective is to promote Cambodian contemporary art, but it is not completely exclusive. We can very well consider working with international talents as long as they can collaborate with Cambodians or propose "mirror" exhibitions.

CM: Do you approach artists?

Sometimes I approach them, or they contact us; then we discuss.

CM: How is the attendance?

There is a regular and growing attendance because we are starting to have some notoriety. We try to create at least one event per week. We organize debates, arts and wine pairing, and exhibitions. A glass of wine can create an emotion, and we benefit from the services of a professional sommelier who, during the evening, explains his choices for pairing specific wines with certain works, which is original and quite appreciated.