Chapei and fine arts
Texts, photos, videos: © Patrick Kersalé 1998-2019, except special mention.
Buddhist art
The paintings which decorate the Buddhist buildings of Cambodia are generally anonymous, only the names of the donors sometimes appear, accompanied by the amount paid for their realization. These works depict the life of Prince Siddhārtha, Bodhisattva Sakyamuni and Siddhārtha Gautama Buddha, three names for the same character at three different stages of his life. The chapei is represented during these three phases of his life.
1. Prince Siddhārtha. As he leaves the palace where he grew up and has never left, the scene of the sleeping dancers and musicians usually shows musical instruments placed on the floor, sometimes a chapei.
2. Bodhisattva Sakyamuni. It was the perfect scene to paint the chapei. Indeed, the god Indra needed a three-string musical instrument to illustrate the metaphor of the Middle Way. But this scene unfortunately threw trouble on the actual number of strings of the chapei since it actually only has two strings (formerly four). We have devoted a chapter to this subject.
3. Siddhārtha Gautama Buddha. When the Buddha returns among men down the triple staircase of gold, silver and precious stones, he is sometimes greeted by an orchestra in which there is a chapei player.
Profan art
Apart from this religious artistic expression, rare Cambodian artists expressed themselves around the chapei in a profane manner. But the 2016 UNESCO protection is starting to change things.
In the grounds of the Royal University of Fine Arts (RUFA) in Phnom Penh, a cement statue represents a chapei player.
In Phnom Penh, at the Royal University of Fine Arts, Department of Fine Arts, artists have created a bronze chapei, inspired by a contemporary instrument. It is staged in a treble clef ending with a stylized naga head.
During New Year 2017, a giant chapei was presented near the Bayon temple in Angkor Thom.
Some identified Khmer artists
We have identified some Khmer artists who have worked on the theme of chapei, before or after the UNESCO protection.
Riem Monisilong
In December 2018, during the Chapei Dang Veng Festival organized by the Heritage Hub division of Cambodian Living Arts in Siem Reap, a 5.5-meter plastic chapei crossed the city on an old ox-cart driven by pedals. He was exhibited at the Vat Reach Bo monastery for two weeks. It was the work of a local artist, Riem Monisilong.
Hay Chhoem
Hay Chhoem’s art is at the crossroads between Cambodia and the West. He draws his inspiration from the architecture and sculpture of Angkorian temples, but also from Buddhist iconography. To paint music is to paint both an instrument and the musician's relationship with it. Very often, the painter has only a vague idea of the functioning of the instrument and the precise way in which it is played. We could summarize the painting of music according to five modes:
- The artist paints from memory what he perceived of the instrument and its playing
- The artist paints what he saw acutely
- The artist paints what he sees: reproduction of an instrument or a musician in front of him, which is rare in Cambodian painting
- The artist paints what he understands about the technology of the instrument, how it works and how to play it
- The artist paints what he has experienced as a music practitioner, which again is hardly ever the case.
Hay Chhoem paints music with his artistic vision. The instruments and the relationship maintained by the musician with his instrument go beyond his imagination. But by questioning this artist, we understand that he seeks to create a unique instrumental universe, with the dream of having his imaginary instruments built and played, without any physical law. However, he admits that he ignored the true nature of the instruments he painted in 2011/2012.
Among these works, two paintings relating to the chapei.
