Escapism. Community. Coming-of-age. Freedom.

Since 2005, photographers from around Asia have been drawn to the Angkor Photo Festival in Siem Reap, Cambodia. There, established names meet lesser-known ones, in a town whose arms are open, whose complexion is mixed, and whose boundaries are prone to negotiation. Unsure of their paths in this unforgiving world, young artists are comforted by those who have walked before, and those wandering by their side.

What began simply as a means of sharing knowledge has evolved into a crucible of talent, a week of visual bliss, a candle floating around an incandescent town, their energies feeding off each other for what seems like a flicker in time.

Poof. And then it’s gone.

In the ephemerality of the moment, of the space, and of the people, structures are unlearned, bonds are broken, and a gaping space opens. It's here that the individual can be honest and vulnerable with who they think they are, as their inner self emerges, and as they slowly etch out the grammar of their visual language, the accents of their photographic voice.

A total of 23 Singaporean photographers have now attended the workshops that are part of the Festival. As an accompaniment to last week’s “Postcard from Siem Reap”, Jom has selected and published below three Angkor photo projects by Singaporean photographers—Sean Lee (2007), Charmaine Poh (2016) and Elisa Tan (2023)*—as a means of marking the explorations that the environment has encouraged.

Through each of their works one senses a young spirit aching to fly.

* Charmaine Poh is Jom’s head of visual culture and media. She selected all the images. Sudhir Vadaketh, Jom’s editor-in-chief, wrote the introduction. Jom is also grateful to Sean Lee and Elisa Tan, photographers living in Singapore, for sharing their work with us.

Sean Lee, 2007 attendee, Angkor Photo Workshop

Project title: Shauna

Write-up: During his time at the Angkor Photo Workshop, Sean photographed himself as different characters seen around Siem Reap. He was a tuk-tuk driver and also a construction worker. But the role that stuck with him was the persona of a woman called "Shauna"; through her, he encountered and befriended a small transgender community in Siem Reap. Sean continued with the project for two years after the Festival.

Experience: Since 2007, I have returned to the Angkor Photo Festival on many occasions, usually as a volunteer. To me, what makes the Festival special is the community of photographers who return year after year—many of whom are the Workshop's alumni. When I think about the Workshop, I do not think about photography at all. All I think about are the friends I made and us drinking and dancing, laughing and talking, night after night.

Charmaine Poh, 2016 attendee, Angkor Photo Workshop

Project title: Close Enough

Write-up: Foregrounding Khmer wedding rituals, the series delves into the longing and romance of LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) individuals living in Siem Reap. Using traditional wedding props such as red thread, a sword, flowers, and a wedding dress, the series juxtaposes reality and fantasy, as individuals imagine a life within grasp.

Experience: What Angkor provided was a dedicated headspace to explore whatever we wanted. I remember a rush of freedom and excitement from trying to say something that I didn’t quite have the language for at that point. The entire week was like a fever dream. I’m grateful to everyone—the mentors, my fellow participants, and especially the people who opened their lives to me—for holding the door open.

Elisa Tan, 2023 attendee, Angkor Photo Workshop

Project Title: A Guide to Wearing Louis Vuitton Sunglasses

Write-up: The photographer wishes to reform herself into an “ideal” girl, by meeting specific, albeit arbitrary, criteria. She reflects on how her expectations for herself are a product of the society she has grown up in, and how she finds part of herself longing to be a part of that same society.

Experience: The workshop felt like a condensed period of character development. I felt as if I had spent months in Siem Reap instead of mere days, and that I had been walking through hell for the majority of that time. But now that it’s over, I find myself missing Angkor greatly. The warmth of this beautiful artistic community is simply irreplaceable.