Sothea Thang: The Keepers Arrive in Paris

Oct 17, 2026
Galerie Lee window in Paris showing the sarong sculptures of Sothea Thang's The Keepers
Sothea Thang's The Keepers at Galerie Lee, Paris
culture
If you've spent time in Phnom Penh, you've almost certainly seen a Sothea Thang sculpture, even if you didn't know his name. I certainly hadn't. On every trip there, I'd find myself next to these twisted fabric and metal, wondering who made them. So when I heard that The Keepers (Les Veilleurs), his solo show at Galerie Lee in Paris, was opening, I knew I had to be there.

Then came the fun part: realizing how many of my regular spots display his work. You'll find his pieces at Sombok Restaurant, at Duck Kingdom, at Brown Coffee and at Koi Thé. Next time you're in town, look up.
Sothea Thang sarong sculpture with its central sphere, on show at Galerie Lee in Paris
A Sothea Thang Keeper and its central sphere

Starting out in architecture

Born in Kampong Cham in 1983, Sothea Thang trained in architecture and urban planning at Norton University and worked at a Phnom Penh architecture firm before teaching himself art from 2009. His materials are natural, local and often recycled: textile, metal, reclaimed elements. You can feel the architect in every piece, since everything starts with a frame.

He's also one of the Cambodian artists to watch on the international scene: in 2025, Mekong Flow, an 11-metre wall installation in recycled aluminum and steel, joined the permanent collection of the Broad Art Museum at Michigan State University. You may have caught the Keepers series earlier at The Gallerist in Phnom Penh.
Sothea Thang sarong sculpture with its central sphere, on show at Galerie Lee in Paris
A Sothea Thang Keeper and its central sphere
Orange sarong Keeper by Sothea Thang, seen from behind in the Galerie Lee window
A sarong Keeper in the Galerie Lee window, rue Visconti

The Keepers: sarong sculptures that watch over you

The heart of the series is the sarong, the everyday fabric of Khmer life. Thang cuts, twists, wraps and layers it around a steel frame. In his words, the metal is the bones and the textile is the skin. Each Keeper holds a sphere at its centre, which you can read as a heart, an inner energy or a tiny world. He leaves the meaning open on purpose.

The sarong carries personal memory too: it's the cloth he grew up seeing on his grandmother, his mother and his sister. Born during a difficult period in the artist's life, the Keepers draw on the image of the cocoon, a safe space where you gather strength before stepping back into the world. They aren't gods or spirits, just quiet presences offering kindness, hope and protection. No wonder they feel so at home in a busy café.

One detail I loved: a large piece takes seven people about two weeks to make, and every Keeper is one of a kind, handmade, signed and dated.

Curated by Rotha Etienne Moeng, the show gives contemporary Cambodian art a beautiful stage in the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, and Galerie Lee deserves credit for it.

Heading to Phnom Penh and curious about the local art scene? Browse my Culture section, and the calendar lists current exhibitions in Phnom Penh..
The Keepers / Les Veilleurs, Sothea Thang
Galerie Lee, 9 rue Visconti, 75006 Paris
October 8 to 31, 2026
Curator: Rotha Etienne Moeng

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