The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts will not block artist Khem Chantha from showing his painting of a family of beggars at a traveling exhibition in Canada next month, the ministry’s director of international relations said Wednesday.
Ouk Lay said Khem Chantha was on the list of 20 Cambodian artists approved last week by Minister of Culture and Fine Arts Princess Bopha Devi to take part in the Jeux de Francophonie.
Last month, ministry officials said that his painting, which depicts the family cowering as a government Toyota Land Cruiser drives nearby, was inappropriate for exhibition abroad. The same painting was rejected for a Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts show last December on the grounds that it was unsuitable for an exhibition meant to “promote development.”
Officials had also said Khem Chantha could not take part in the festival because he is older than 35. Khem Chantha has said he is 35 and meets the exhibitor’s age requirements. In a meeting at the ministry last month, he showed Princess Bopha Devi a school certificate that lists his date of birth.
Additionally, an official at the Canadian Embassy recently sent a letter to the Ministry of Culture expressing support for Khem Chantha.
Ouk Lay said Wednesday that there had been a mistake identifying the artist, but it has since been cleared up.
Altogether, 43 Cambodians will be leaving for Ottawa in mid-July. The Ministry of Education is also sending athletes to participate in various sporting events, Ouk Lay said. The participants will return in late July, he said.
Canada is paying the airfare for all Cambodians and accommodations for about 10 of the participants. Princess Bopha Devi is seeking funding from the Council of Ministers to help the other participants finance their trip, Ouk Lay said.
