Deadly Collision Claims 67 Lives in U.S. Air Disaster | At Least 30 Dead and Many Injured in Stampede at Maha Kumbh Mela in India | Chinese President Xi Jinping Affirms Cambodia's Role as a Key Partner in China’s Diplomatic Strategy | Xi Jinping Concludes State Visit to Cambodia, Strengthening Bilateral Ties | Chinese President Xi Jinping Concludes Successful State Visit to Cambodia | Chinese Ambassador: US-China Trade Tensions Harm Developing Nations; President Xi Urges Investment in Cambodia and Expanded Market Access | Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force Ships Bungo and Etazima Dock at Ream Sea Base for Four-Day Visit | Prime Minister Hun Manet Expresses Displeasure Over Criticism of Chinese Investments During Kampot International Tourist Port Inauguration | Asian Development Bank Collaborates with Cambodia on New Development Projects Worth Over $1 Billion |
Deadly Collision Claims 67 Lives in U.S. Air Disaster | At Least 30 Dead and Many Injured in Stampede at Maha Kumbh Mela in India | Chinese President Xi Jinping Affirms Cambodia's Role as a Key Partner in China’s Diplomatic Strategy | Xi Jinping Concludes State Visit to Cambodia, Strengthening Bilateral Ties | Chinese President Xi Jinping Concludes Successful State Visit to Cambodia | Chinese Ambassador: US-China Trade Tensions Harm Developing Nations; President Xi Urges Investment in Cambodia and Expanded Market Access | Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force Ships Bungo and Etazima Dock at Ream Sea Base for Four-Day Visit | Prime Minister Hun Manet Expresses Displeasure Over Criticism of Chinese Investments During Kampot International Tourist Port Inauguration | Asian Development Bank Collaborates with Cambodia on New Development Projects Worth Over $1 Billion |

Prestigious Nhek Dim Painting Donated to SOSORO Museum by Australian Diplomat's Family

  • Posted Mar 27, 2024 10:55 by Anthony Ellis
  • 2353
  Aa |   aA

Phnom Penh, March 27, 2024 - The Preah Srey Içanavarman Museum of Economy and Money, more popularly known as SOSORO, has become the proud recipient of a significant 1960s landscape painting by the renowned Cambodian artist Nhek Dim, courtesy of the family of the late Australian diplomat, Robert Merrillees.

The official handover took place on March 25 at the museum in Phnom Penh, attended by Dr. Chea Serey, Governor of the National Bank of Cambodia, Justin Whyatt, Ambassador of Australia to Cambodia, and members of the Merrillees family.

This modernist depiction of rural Cambodia was acquired by Robert Merrillees and his wife Helen in the late 1960s during his diplomatic service in the country. Following careful restoration by the Merrillees family, the painting has been donated to the SOSORO Museum to ensure its preservation and public accessibility.

Blaise Kilian, Co-director of the SOSORO Museum, expressed gratitude for the donation, highlighting its significance in representing Cambodia's rich cultural and artistic heritage from the post-independence era, which was nearly obliterated by subsequent war and the Khmer Rouge regime. He noted the donation's timely contribution to the museum's newly inaugurated exhibition segments that focus on Cambodia's socio-economic history during the Independence, the Khmer Republic, and the Khmer Rouge era.

Dolla S. Merrillees, the daughter of Robert Merrillees, emphasized the painting's cultural and historical importance, expressing the family's pleasure in returning Nhek Dim's artwork to the Cambodian people. "Given that most of his works were destroyed by the Pol Pot regime, we hope this painting will be cherished by future generations," she remarked.

The SOSORO Museum, an initiative of the National Bank of Cambodia, aims to educate the public about Cambodia's economic history and the evolution of currency. It employs a mix of ancient artifacts and contemporary technology to offer a comprehensive museography experience.


Related News