Towards the close of Tuesday August 19, a thin gray-haired man is busy with his client’s order for three large paintings. His head, bent in concentration cannot hide the smile on the artist’s face as he listens to his client’s orders concerning the size of the paintings.
Sen Samouen, 48, is a painter with almost 30 years of experience and he is highly satisfied with his art business, located near the National Museum in Phnom Penh. This is a popular center for artists in Phnom Penh, many of whom have set up shop in this district of the city.
Although Samouen only recently established his painting business in a rented house, he said he has as many clients as those art houses with a longer history.
Samouen said that he can sell at least five to 10 paintings, with earnings of about US $200-300, per day. “I get orders almost daily,” he said. “My customers tell me my work makes an ideal house warming gift.”
Sameoun, who also taught painting, added that his wife devotes her time to serving clients at his painting gallery. Although her English is not perfect, it is more that good enough, in conjunction with her warm heart and smile, to welcome foreign buyers. They appear to appreciate her husband’s landscape paintings more than any other subject.
Yem Sreymom, the artist’s wife, said that she was lucky to run her own painting business during this boom time in the housing market. She said that the quality and reasonable price of her husband’s work usually guaranteed repeat purchases from satisfied customers.
“If we sell the art at too high price, they will not come again,” Sreymom said. “I just get a small profit per painting but sell a lot. That ties my clients to my business forever.”
She said that buying a painting as a gift for a house warming ceremony is a new development and illustrates the improved quality of life for Cambodians.
Not only Sen Samoeun but other artists who have shops agreed that business has improved recently. Hen Sophal, 50, an artist and the owner of Hen Sophal’s Gallery agreed with Samoeun’s view of the profession.
Sophal said that the painting business is improving as Cambodian people like paintings to decorate their homes and bought many for friends and relatives. He said this year he could sell up to 1,000 paintings, earning about US $10,000 per month. In 2006, he sold only 400 paintings.
He based much of his success on his gallery’s location, being close to the National Museum and the Royal Palace.
“The place can be seen easily when tourists visit the National Museum and Royal Palace and they want to buy some souvenirs,” he said. “Cambodians know this place as the Downtown Painting Gallery.”
He added that, “The price of the paintings depends on the achievement of the artist.”
He said that he always gets orders for paintings. “Sometimes I don’t have much time to paint because there are too many orders,” he said. “But I have to do it. It is money.”
Say Vicheth, 27, an architect student at a Phnom Penh University, expressed his pleasure at walking into his classically styled villa, decked out with paintings across the walls. “I have spent a hundred dollars on four paintings for the living room and my bed room,” he said. “They give me something to look at when I get bored.”
Given the choice between a photograph and a painting he would chose the painting, he said. However, he always buys paintings as souvenirs when he is invited to a house warming ceremony. That way, he can be sure that he will always be remembered.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment