SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA — SPIRIT HOUSE MAKERS
While near Angkor Wat, Cambodia, I came across a small roadside workshop making rean tevoda — traditional Cambodian spirit houses. I was drawn to the people working there and the practical, often dusty environment around them, with spirit houses at different stages of construction alongside the tools and materials used to make them.
The spirit houses were assembled from moulded sections and finished by hand, with details added to the surfaces before being painted, often in bright colours and gold. I spent time photographing the artisans as they worked, along with the spirit houses and details of the workshop.
Around the area, I also came across open yards filled with Buddha statues, some painted bright gold and catching the evening sun. I made a couple of portraits of local children riding their bikes home from school, as well as photographs of a traditional Khmer guardian lion statue being carved and sanded by an artisan in an outdoor workspace.
Together, the photographs offer a glimpse of the people, working spaces and religious sculptures I encountered around Angkor Wat.