Street of Gods

For more than a thousand years up until the mid-13th century, Hinduism played a dominant role in shaping the beliefs and culture of Cambodia, and this influence can still be felt to this very day. This piece of artwork celebrates that influence by featuring characters from Cambodian narratives with Hindu origins; namely the Reamker, The Churning of The Ocean Milk; and Robam Moni Mekhala mingling with present-day folks on a typical Cambodian city street. Other cultural influences are also depicted; such as the yeak (giant) in a Peking Opera facial makeup, and the yellow French colonial building he is leaning on. If you look carefully, you will also find Cambodians’ favorite trickster folk hero, Judge Rabbit!

Printed on premium art paper and sold unframed.

A4: 21cm x 29.7cm

A3: 29.7cm x 42cm

Joshua is a Singapore born artist now based in Phnom Penh. Ever since he successfully sold the only copy of his first original hand-drawn comic-book The Adventures of Hercules and Odysseus to his mother for a meal at the age of nine, Joshua Chiang has been filled with an unquenchable belief that he will achieve greatness in the realm of visual storytelling. In 2017, Joshua started Candid Cambodia, a collection of illustrations about what’s peculiar in Cambodia. He draws his inspiration from the day to day happenings in the streets of Phnom Penh. Joshua is probably most well-known in Cambodia for his pile-up art illustration of a motordop ferrying a large number of passengers and much more, capturing the spirit of anything goes in this country.