A digital photo series produced in 2023 and 2024 during my seventh semester at the BUW. It showcases an array of Khmer textiles, primarily made out of cotton and silk. These are combined with european tradtions of drapery, reflecting on the cultural relicts and biographical artefacts of a country I left as well as a country in which I received my education and currently study. Presented during the winter semester exhibition at the BUW (Winterwerkschau), te series was exhibited with one 40 x 50 cm print on Baryta paper as well as a self-bound hardcover in Swiss perfect binding.
prologue (publication excerpt):
drapery
the subject of folded cloth as a secondary subject in European history can be traced back to ancient greece. used as a tool to accentuate the body, it was later adopted into painting in central europe during the dark ages. in conjuction to further explorations in style during the renaissence and baroque era, drapery would later on not only serve a compositional role but also to showcase artistic skill as well as communicate the privileges of a person draped in luxurious fabrics.
silk
khmer silk production dates back to the angkor empire at the end of the 13th century. zhou daguan, a chinese diplomat travelling the kingdom at the time, recorded the practice of silk weaving as being imported from siam (thailand). in cambodia, silk is tradtionally produced by feeding mulberry leaves to the larvae of the silkworm which then cocoon. before hatching into moths, they are then boiled in water and threads of silk are spun from the intact cocoons. cambodian silk is often referred to as golden. In contrast to many subspecies of silkworm, those used in traditional khmer weaving produce as yellow-ish cocoon. over time, textiles spun from this thread take on an even warmer, yellow hue.
krama
a traditional cotton scarf (p. 43 and 46) that can be adapted into protective gear or headware. red and white checkered kramas were worn by the khmer rouge under whose regime (1975 - 79) many silk artisans were killed. but just as traditional silk weaving has been revived, the item of the krama continues to be worn in cambodia.
