This piece was originally published in the November 2024 issue of Pandora Curated.
In the aftermath of the devastating four-year Khmer Rouge regime, Cambodia's culture was nearly lost. The genocide took the lives of around 25% of the population, leaving behind a nation still haunted by the past, where the very heart of Cambodia—its art, traditions, and intellectual heritage—surrendered to systemic assault.
Now, ceramists strive to revive the remnants of an ancient civilization, each piece being a testament to a culture's desire to endure and prosper in the face of attempts to erase it.
Khmer ceramics, an integral part of Cambodian culture, blend functionality with artistry and are characterized by glazed stoneware with intricate designs from the Angkorian empire. Most of the pottery in museums includes pieces from this period when the Angkorian empire flourished as organized states along the Mekong Delta region.
Khmer ceramics include a wide array of items, like storage jars, urns, figures, and bowls, to name a few. During the Angkor period, the potters used wheels to produce ceramics, which were mainly glazed in blue, green, brown, gray or black tones. In rural areas, potters often left practical items like cooking pots, stoves, and waterpots unglazed. Instead, they decorated them with a carved thunder motif, symbolizing the rain and thunder essential for crop growth.
Another distinctive characteristic of the Angkorian era is the depiction of animals. Exquisite glazed pots and jars shaped like elephants and birds are notable examples of Khmer ceramics. In addition to serving as household items, these ceramics were also utilized for religious purposes and decorative functions by the aristocracy. Small and narrow-necked Khourch vases, for example, are found near burial sites with human remains in them. Ceramics have thus been an integral part of society and utilized for various purposes to perform culture.
Along with other art forms, ceramic practices were targeted so disproportionately under dictator Pol Pot's regime that they were almost lost forever. During Pot’s four-year regime from 1975 to 1979, his Communist Party of Kampuchea and their guerrilla troops, the Khmer Rouge, wreaked havoc on Cambodians in the name of transforming the country into a communist utopia. An agrarian collectivist society which desired rural peasant lifestyles culminated in the extermination of artists and educators. It caused a break with the cultural self as it did not fit the communist narrative of uniformity among the masses.
This change was brutally enforced, with minorities disproportionately targeted, leading to the establishment of killing fields and detention camps. Notably, the Tuol Sleng prison (S-21) held between 12,000 and 20,000 prisoners, of whom only a few survived. The death toll of the Cambodian genocide remains uncertain, with estimates ranging from 1.7 to 3 million lives lost.
The few artists and intellectuals who survived the genocide are now actively trying to preserve traditional Khmer practices for future generations. People like Yary Livan, one of the three remaining traditional master ceramists, have devoted their lives to teaching and reviving these art forms.
Livan survived the genocide mainly because his mother, who was a skilled tailor and made hats for the army, suggested to the authorities that Livan knew how to build wood-burning kilns to make roof tiles. The regime needed those for the creation of prisons.
After moving between multiple refugee camps from the 1980s and 1990s, he finally got political asylum in 2002 in the United States. Now he teaches at Middlesex Community College, holds workshops to teach traditional techniques and shares the cultural significance of their work, aiming to inspire a new generation of ceramists to carry on these practices.
In 2012, along with his friend and fellow master ceramist Kang Proeung, he built a wood-fired kiln in Lowell National Historic Park. Additionally, in 2015 he was awarded the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)’s National Heritage Fellowship, the highest honor the US government gives to artists who work to preserve their traditions.
Within Cambodia, the late Chhun Pok was a famous ceramist teacher and academic at the Royal University of Fine Arts in the capital, Phnom Penh. Later, Proeung became head of the Ceramics Section at the university. With the help of Japanese and Australian aid, he was able to sell art made by students in local markets and organize exhibitions; all aiming to revive the traditional practices. Before his death, he built a studio ‘Lor Pok’ and a kiln in his hometown Svay Chrum, which is still run by his sons and nephew.
Family is a recurring theme when it comes to this preservation. It is difficult to find students willing to learn the craft to the extent that they become master ceramists. This worries Livan, but he has extensively taught his sons the craft, who, according to him, are his best apprentices. It is safe to say that Livan’s legacy will continue, just as Pok’s family continues his. Nevertheless, Livan will continue to spread his knowledge and continue to inspire other potential master ceramists.
Furthermore, there are various ceramics centers and museums in Cambodia that aim to educate both locals and tourists on Khmer ceramics. For example, the Khmer Ceramics and Fine Arts Centre in Siem Reap is an initiative of the governmental National Centre for Khmer Ceramics Revival (NCKCR), which aims to revitalize tradition and reduce poverty by hiring locals to make traditional crafts.
Unfortunately, there is also a threat of commodification of Khmer ceramics, especially in an age where mass production is the norm. In the 1990s, Cambodia started to cater ceramics to tourists in hopes of boosting the economy.
Consequently, in France, Khmer ceramics are prized collector’s items, while Japanese collectors favor pieces with distinctive fire and ash imprints, which evoke an exotic appeal and align with the 15th-century wabi aesthetic from traditional tea ceremonies. Cheap and plastic-made ceramics have also become an issue since they diminish the prestige and effort of the craft.
Studio-made pottery and ceramics are thus primarily crafted for wealthy customers or foreigners who value them as aesthetic souvenirs. These pieces reflect the kinds of ceramics once used by aristocrats and the clergy, contrasting starkly with the everyday pottery of common people.
As hinted before, the Cambodian diaspora community, the majority of which live in the US, is also important. Diasporic communities play a crucial role in preserving their "home" cultures while navigating the influences of their new cultural environments. Between 1975 and 1994, over 157,500 Cambodians moved to the US under political asylum. This diaspora sustains cultural knowledge through community centers, associations, and independent artists who promote cultural exchange within their communities.
Ultimately, the rebirth of Khmer traditions is in full throttle and actively shaping the future of Cambodia’s culture. Through carefully crafted museum exhibitions and engaging ceramic workshop centers, the Cambodians educate younger generations and showcase their rich culture to the wider international community.
The preservation and practice of Khmer ceramics embodies a powerful act of cultural defiance against the Khmer Rouge's attempted erasure of Cambodian heritage. Each meticulously crafted piece stands as a testament to the indomitable spirit and artistic prowess of the Cambodian people, ensuring that their rich cultural legacy endures. As master ceramist Yary Livan poignantly observes, "A little piece of the past gets resurrected" with every creation, symbolizing the resilience of Khmer traditions in the face of historical adversity.
With inputs from the Curated Editorial Team
Sara Amir (she/her) is a student of International Studies and Security Studies at Leiden University, and a writer at Political Pandora. Her research interests are climate related issues, war, and politics.
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Keywords
Khmer Ceramics, Cambodian Genocide, Khmer Rouge History, Traditional Pottery, Angkorian Empire, Cultural Preservation, Yary Livan Ceramics, Cambodian Art Revival, Diaspora Communities, Siem Reap Ceramics, Khmer Heritage, Wood-Fired Kiln, Lor Pok Studio, Cambodian Traditions, Khmer Cultural Identity.
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