By Antonio Graceffo

A young student toils with a wood chisel, carving out the image of an ancient Hindu God. His instructor has already reviewed the piece once, and marked in chalk the areas where the student must carve deeper. The instructor demands perfection, only the greatest talents may represent the Artisans D’Angkor. In an adjacent workshop, a group of provincial Khmers, all def mutes, practice transferring intricate designs from patterns to wood. Once the negative images appear, they will be painted over, using a special colorization process, called polychrome. On another part of the campus, students use wooden mallets to transfer great blocks of stone into traditional works of art. 

This is a scene form Artisans D’Angkor, a French NGO who is trying to promote and develop traditional Khmer crafts in Siem Reap. Among the programs being taught are Stone and wood carving lacquering, gilding, sand silk-work, all of which were once Khmer crafts. But, during the long Civil War and the repressive Khmer Rouge regime, much of the old artistry of the Khmers was lost. Now, thanks to Artisans D’Angkor, the old ways are being revived. 

The NGO, Chantiers-Ecoles de Formation Professionelle (CEFP) started as an off shoot of the Cambodian Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sport, in 1992.

The original program, which was supported by the French, ran from 1992-1998.

At that time, the organization brought rural Khmers, who didn’t have access to education and training, to Siem Reap, to be trained in crafts, as well as trades, such as masonry and plumbing. After they completed their training program, the young people would be sent back to their village. The problem with the original program was that in the depressed Cambodian economy is was nearly impossible for traditional artists to find a job. From 1998-2001 the EU took over the support of the program, and added the additional step of helping the students to set up a business back in their home village. The new program has been dubbed a success. Now, Artisan D’Angkor is completely self-sufficient. 

The current program recruits children from the Provinces who demonstrate some natural ability in artistry. They are brought to the center in Siem Reap, and trained in groups of 15-25 for a period of 6-8 months. During this time, they are provided with a living allowance. After successfully completing both the program, and a three-month internship, the organization helps the students to set up a workshop in their home village. According to Nguon-Sovann Mealea, a spokesperson for the organization, “We have two intents. One is to revitalize the Khmer traditional crafts. The other is to help with economic development.” The program seems to be a success.

According to the literature made available by the program, they have already created 750 much-needed jobs in Cambodia. 

The painstaking detail that went into each of the crafts was amazing. The students told me that it took up to four weeks to carve a single bas-relief.

In another workshop, students were carving, what looked like, traditional Khmer stone statues. I was very surprised when the students showed me that they were actually composed of wood, and made to look like stone. In a showcase, they had several original pieces of Angkor stonework, which I assumed were being used as model. Wrong again! “Those were made last week.”

Laughed the student. “After we finish the statue, then we use special techniques to make them look old. A few hours later, you have an antique.”

At the stone-carving workshop, the students showed me the massive blocks of raw stone. Each had its own color scheme and personality before the sculpting began.

The student explained to me that what I was looking at was sandstone. “The blocks all have different colors because they come from different parts of Cambodia.” He went on to explain. “It is the same kind of stone as in Angkor Wat, which came from the Kulein Mountains. Now, it is illegal to use the same exact stone, because the government wants to protect against forgeries.”

Like many foreigners, I knew that silk came form worms, but what exactly does that mean? A young student took me on a tour of the silk center, and showed me just how silk is made. Apparently, silk worms like to eat mulberry trees. So, the farm maintains 5 hectares, of 18 varieties of the plants, from various countries. The trees are cut when they reach a height of one meter. Apparently the worms only like to eat the fresh leaves. The worms go through various lifecycles, feeding on the leaves. Finally, the spin a cocoon. The staff, all young people form the provinces, select 80% of the cocoons to use for silk production. The other 20% are allowed to continue the life cycle, and breed new worms. To kill the chrysalis, the cocoons are left in the sun for 3-4 days. Next, the cocoons are dropped in hot water, which encourages the silk to unravel. The silk is wound onto a spindle. In various station of the silk workshop, young girls use bicycle wheels, turned by hand to smoothen, unknot, dye, and eventually weave the silk into thread.

On great wooden looms, also operated by hand and foot, the silk threads will be woven into fabric. It was very interesting to see how the girls would line up the various colored threads on the loom in order to produce patterns on the cloth.

All around, Artisans D’Angkor should receive full marks for courage and compassion. The organization was brilliant in identifying a need in the Khmer community and filling it. The young people were truly beautiful in the desire to learn and perfect the ancient Khmer skills. Of the students I met, they all seemed to have a love of the crafts they were creating. The money they would eventually earn would also go to help support their families, and eventually, flow back into the community, crating jobs and helping others to achieve a better standard of living. What the young people may not have realized, however, was that they were, each of them, a living monument to the artistry of Angkor. Each of these young students will preserve in his hands and in his heart the glory of the Golden Age of Khmer civilization.

The Khmer Rouge period absolutely destroyed the Cambodian nation. It set technology back a hundred years, and undid learning by killing all of the educated people and burning all of the books. Artisans and people involved with traditional culture were also marked for execution, because the Khmer Rouge felt that they represented a link with the past, which would prevent the new regime from creating a modern agrarian utopia. Since the end of the Khmer Rouge regime, it has been through the work of foreign organizations that Khmer culture is being revitalized. In a country where much of the population is living below the poverty line, it is inconceivable for locals to spend precious resources on maintaining traditions, when they are having difficulty feeding their families.

Help and support for the Khmer traditions has come from some very unusual places. Even some of the big luxury hotels in Siem Reap are doing what they can to help the old ways survive. Sarah, the sales manager of Angkor Century Hotel told about the hotel’s contribution to the preservation of Khmer heritage. “We are creating a Khmer spa.” She told me, proudly. “Why should people come to Cambodia and get a Thai spa treatment?” Instead, Angkor Century will take the original Khmer beautification and relaxation techniques and create a spa treatment which is a true Cambodian experience.

The decor is inspired by the ancient traditions of Angkor. “When you come in, you will be offered you choice of a variety of teas from various regions of Cambodia.” Explained Sarah. Guests will be offered facials and beauty rituals using ancient Khmer techniques. Best of all, they will offer Khmer massage. “We are in Cambodia, a proud and unique country. Why must we copy Thailand?” If people want Thai massage, they could go to Thailand. But here, you can get traditional Khmer aroma therapy, and massage, as well as foot reflexology, which combines religion, culture and history.

After a year and a half in Cambodia, I am finding it hard to leave. The country is just so fascinating. At every turn, you discover yet another interesting mix of old and new, of foreign and local. The slogan of Artisans D’ Angkor is an example of this odd mix. “Handing on cultural savoir-faire, promoting Khmer identity.” This slogan was obviously created by a French organization, supporting Khmer students. It contains an English phrase, with French saying, colored by Khmer overtones.

Preserving culture is important, but Cambodia desperately needs economic development as well. To these ends, Artisans D’Angkor is doing what they can. The crafts, which the students produce, are sold at the Artisans D’Angkor shop, on the campus, as well as at airport gift shops and the Artisans D’Angkor Café, near Angkor Wat. “Hotels sometimes special order large quantities of goods.” Said Nguon-Sovann Mealea.

What is missing, however, is large-scale export. Currently, the largest distribution of these exquisite handcrafts has been in Cambodia. Viewing this campus and the beautifully crafted works of art, through the eyes of a former investment banker, I see real opportunity for foreign investors.

Labor costs in Cambodia are cheap. Some of the hand crafted products which retailed for $6-$8 in Cambodia could easily sell for $30-$35 in boutiques in New York. Today, everyone knows Thailand. But collectors in the west have yet to be exposed to the uniqueness of the Khmer culture and handicrafts.

Artisan D’Angkor presents an amazing opportunity for a westerner with a bit of creativity and a small amount of financing to start a very lucrative export business, which would greatly benefit Cambodian young people, so desperately in need of jobs.