more pics from Vandy Rattana

Seckon and Dy Saveth explaining the workings of the competition. Shot of the lamps after the workshop by Bronwyn Blue of I-Ching.

Bronwyn thanks so much - you really inspired us all to make beautiful lamps... and they will hang
in the trees of Elsewhere on the night ...

More photos of the lamp workshop, this time by photographer Vandy Rattana

we have a diverse group of people participating in Bonghain Mode Samram - abuse survivors, staff of Rajana (a local handicrafts NGO), artists and musicians and some expats. About 40 people attended this meeting for participants and interested people.

Belle, who is a traditionally trained modern dancer, will perform a dance at the Bonghain Mode Samram fashion show, along with her musician friends. They are designing her costume and are constructing traditional Khmer instruments completely from rubbish for this performance.

MORE gorgeous vamp lamps!

We were so grateful that Phnom Penh based photographer Vandy Rattana came to the workshop and brought his camera! Thanks so much Rattana for giving us these beautiful shots!!

moooor lamps...

a rubbish story

Once upon a time there was a Cambodian artist by the name of Leang Seckon.

He grew up in the Prey Veng countryside, singing the songs of the 60s and hearing and telling old khmer stories as he and his friends made plays to amuse themselves while watching their fearless buffaloes.

One day, when he was older, he had the chance to travel along the feted

Stung Sangker River, which he had imagined all his life. He was shocked to find that the entire length of this celebrated river was covered in plastic, even up in the trees,

as the water had recently risen and fallen. What will happen to all the fish in the river? What will happen to all the rivers in my Cambodia, if we throw plastic into the water?, he thought.

Seckon was already interested in environmental issues, making art pieces and collages from found objects and rubbish. So, not long after this journey along the Stung Sangker, he started talking about an idea with his friend Fleur, and The Rubbish Project was born.

Seckon and Fleur imagined they and their friends could organise artsy events to raise awareness of environmental issues in Cambodia. Soon they were joined by the iconic and gorgeous

movie star Dy Saveth, and the rugged smooth singing star Zono. In fact the more they talk about this project they find more people are enthusiastic to join.

The next event will be Bonghain Mode Samram,

a fashion design competition where all entries are created from rubbish, or found objects.