Thousands gather online and in person to celebrate the life of Lokru Srey Bandaul, co-founder of the Cambodian arts school and social circus Phare Ponleu Selpak.

On the afternoon of 20th November, a celebration of the life of Lokru Srey Bandaul was held at the campus of Phare Ponleu Selpak, the non-profit which he co-founded 27 years ago in Battambang, Cambodia. Lokru Bandaul passed away in August of this year as a result of COVID-19, resulting in grief and tributes pouring in from across the world for a man who had helped to restore arts and culture to Cambodia after the horrors of the Pol Pot regime. The celebration included memories shared by family, poetry, song, live painting, circus performances, and dance performances which showed off the talent he helped nurture across Cambodia.

The event culminated in 250 candles being lit to illuminate a giant lotus flower created at the heart of the Phare campus. Paper lanterns were lit and rose into a starlit sky amidst the cheers and prayers of the assembled guests. About 500 guests were present for the tribute event, with over 7000 more attending online. Given Lokru Bandaul’s deep love for his hometown Battambang, and efforts to see it regain its crown as Cambodia’s cultural capital, Phare was particularly honoured by the presence of Battambang’s Governor, His Excellency, Doctor Sok Lou, who also generously donated to Phare in order to continue Lokru Bandaul’s legacy.

At the time of his passing, Lokru Bandaul was just 49 years old. He survived the Khmer Rouge war and then spent his formative years in a refugee camp where he continued to see many atrocities. It was his discovery of art that helped him find a positive way to channel his energies, and he dedicated his life to restoring arts and education to his war-shattered country.

Lokru Bandaul remained active in Phare until the end of his life. He is grieved by his wife, two daughters, and a nationwide creative community who were taught or inspired by him. “He was a man who always provided people around him with advice, joy, and warmth, and he was a man who always brought joy to people living around him and a smile to everyone around him including his family, friends, and his students. He was a man who did everything without thinking of his own time. What was important to him was that whenever he could help, he would do it, without rejection, never saying no to people living around him and especially for Phare Family because he loved them so much, and he treated Phare as his second home. He used to tell me very often that he wanted to see Phare grow bigger and bigger, he didn’t want to lose it. His love for Phare was indescribable,” said Bandaul’s wife during the ceremony.

As well as an inspirational teacher, Srey Bandaul was a revered artist who had published two books, Looking at Angkor and The Land of the Elephants, and seen his work exhibited in every corner of the globe, including Turkey, Norway, the United Kingdom, the Philippines, Thailand, Myanmar, Australia, Singapore, and the United States. The shock and grief of his loss could be seen by the hundreds of tributes pouring in on Phare’s social media channels in the days after his loss.

“I am happy that all our team came together to pay such a creative, beautiful, and fitting tribute to a real Cambodian cultural hero,” said Osman Khawaja, the executive director of Phare Ponleu Selpak. “Srey Bandaul was one of the most important figures in the Cambodian contemporary art scene and through Phare Ponleu Selpak, the organization he co-founded, he made a lasting impact in the arts community. Many of his students have gone to become well-known artists.”

Bandaul spent most of his life developing the Phare Visual & Applied Arts School in Battambang, which in turn became a powerhouse for the wider art community in Cambodia. He spearheaded festivals and artists’ collectives and in recent years headed the outreach programs of Phare, bringing art to marginalized communities. He truly believed that art should be for all.

“We want to provide the students with a complete set of technical skills, a strong fundamental and cultural knowledge of the arts, and the ability to understand, analyze, and respond to a given problem with professionalism and creativity. We have become a big family, bound by the passion for art… I really hope a bright future is coming for the next generations!” said Bandaul in a recent interview.

Click here to view the photo essay of the celebration: