At factory Phnom Penh on August 20, a groundbreaking workshop titled “The Path to Mental Illness Relief” took a bold step towards addressing Cambodia’s deeply rooted psychological wounds. 

This workshop, which ran from 9am to 5:30pm, paved the way for a more open dialogue about mental health and emotional wellness among Cambodians.

Spearheading the initiative was Cambodian artist and activist Adana Mam-Legros, drawing from her own personal journey to inspire others.

“Workshops like these offer foundational knowledge about mental health, and the chance to seek help and healing,” said Mam-Legros, an artist known for blending philanthropy with art. 

Du 31 mai au 11 juin, à l’espace des Dominicains, l’association a(r)ty*pic, en collaboration avec Christel Schirmer, présidente de l’association Éphémères, arts & cultures, qui endosse ici le rôle de commissaire d’exposition, propose une exposition qui fera cheminer le public à travers des univers sonores, numériques, visuels et céramiques.

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​Neuf artistes, français et allemands d’envergure internationale ont formé un collectif pour mettre en lumière leur créativité en partant à la recherche de leurs racines : Andrea Uecker, Christ Mattia, Christian Appel (avec Walter Emmerich), Christina Weising, Adana Mam Legros, Ariane Coissieux, Karin Hoerler. Le Kunstverein de la ville de Gauting près de Munich se présentera via une vidéo réalisée par Jane Christiana Höchstetter.

Adana décrit sa propre vie, depuis sa jeunesse solitaire jusqu’à sa transformation en activiste rebelle au système, par le biais de la danse et du cinéma.

« Je raconte ma propre histoire à travers un mélange de spectacles de danse, de la danse traditionnelle khmère aux styles contemporains et aux mouvements Bokator », dit-elle.

Sa dernière œuvre, Dead End ? est un court métrage qui met en valeur son talent artistique et sa passion pour l’exploration de questions sociales importantes. Le film, qui sera projeté simultanément le 29 avril au Parisien de Phnom Penh et au Gazette Café de Montpellier, en France, est une œuvre d’art très attendue qui met en scène les célèbres danseuses Silver Belle et Sok Vitou, ainsi que Kaliane Tea et Ning Mam.

L’œuvre commence par un discours d’Adana sur des danseurs traditionnels khmers.

​Ce qui rend Dead End ? Vraiment unique, c’est le message qu’il véhicule. Adana a profité du film pour dévoiler les raisons de la création de son mouvement, Generation C International.

Art has always been a powerful medium for expressing emotions and ideas that are sometimes difficult to put into words.

Artist Adana Mam-Legros, president and founder of social movement Generation C International, has used her art to explore the complexities of her identity and the trauma that her family and country have endured.

She describes her own life, from her lonely youth to becoming an activist rebelling against the system, through the mediums of dance and film.

“I’m telling my own story through a mix of dance performances, from traditional Khmer dance to contemporary styles and Bokator movements,” Adana told The Post.

Her latest work, Dead End?, is a short film that showcases her artistic talent and her passion for exploring important social issues.

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Throughout the course of the pandemic, artist and activist Adana Mam-Legros and her organisation Generation C – which she is president and co-founder of – have been actively uplifting people and issuing a wakeup call to society by talking about the things that really matter in the world from complementarity to compassion, consciousness, empathy, the art of sharing, mental health, empowering women and more.

Adana will be leaving Cambodia for Europe at the beginning of 2022, but she’s doing one last exhibition before she goes called ConvivArt that highlights the philosophy of convivialism and the “art of better living together”.

The video shows a woman covered from head to toe in traditional Khmer fabrics removes layer upon layer of cloth, finally unveiling her true identity wearing modern clothing and make-up, with a soundtrack that reflects the boundaries between the two worlds that is a mixture of both modern and traditional sounds.

“This video demonstrates the power of artistic activism. A simple gesture accompanied by a radical message. Women have been suffocating under the pressure of tradition since the dawn of time. Adapting to the modern age by keeping knowledge of our roots is necessary to move forward as a nation and as a civilisation,”

French-Cambodian artist Adana Mam-Legros explains to The Post. 

The short but powerful video was made as part of the I’ll Show You

In these difficult times where the importance of caring, showing kindness and sharing matters more than ever, artists Chea Serey and Adana Mam-Legros felt the need to demonstrate the principles of hope and solidarity to people by integrating their art into an act of sharing by holding an exhibition and art auction aimed at raising funds for local NGOs that are working on social and psychological issues.

The initial idea for the The Art of Sharing exhibition came about in early 2020 when the pandemic was just beginning. Adana says that a lot of time was spent working on the paintings – especially on the four special collaborative paintings – as well as the 18 individual art works that went into the exhibition. 

After many weeks of work, in January 2021 the 22 paintings were hung in Sosoro museum and the exhibition was officially opened to the public.

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After sharing her experience with our students during a conference, the French-Khmer artist and activist Adana Mam-Legros made a precious donation to Chandara Students' Homes by selling a piece of art during her "I'll show you who I am" exhibition. Orkun chran!

"Art is not an end in itself, but a means to share my messages", confides Adana Mam-Legros, activist who uses art as a medium to empower individuals and communities. We are grateful to her for supporting our students, by donating to Chandara Students' 

​Homes the entire funds from the sale of a piece of art from the last exhibition she curated. It is within the walls of the FT Gallery located in the Factory Phnom Penh, a high place of creation and innovation, that the artist was able to spread her ideas, expose her works and raise funds for 3 local NGOs including ours, Raksa Koma Foundation (RKF) and Samakithoar, from September 17th to 19th 2021.

An Art show shining a spotlight on women in Cambodia featuring short but powerful videos was recently exhibited at the FT Gallery in the Factory Phnom Penh as part of the launch of Generation C’s “I’ll Show You Who I Am campaign”. 

Generation C’s campaign for women’s rights in Cambodia is part of the project “Voices for Gender Equality” sponsored by the EU and DanChurchAid (DCA), an NGO founded by the Danish national Lutheran church.

Phnom Penh Post writes that the featured video showing a woman removing layer after layer of traditional Khmer fabrics until she finally reveals her true identity wearing a modern outfit and makeup, is meant to highlight the pressures that women face from the traditional culture in Cambodia to point to opportunities to overcome them.

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Three non-governmental organisations in Cambodia dealing with social and psychological issues have received $20,000 each from the “Art of Sharing” exhibition by two prominent Cambodian women artists, Chea Serey, who is also the director general of the National Bank of Cambodia and Adana Mam-Legros.

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The three beneficiary organisations chosen were HelpAge Cambodia, TPO Cambodia and Improving Cambodia’s Society through Skillful Parenting (ICS-IP), which all benefited from the exhibition last January conducted at Sosoro Museum.

Serey said they were overwhelmed with the support received for the art exhibition resulting in its success.

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Three generations of five strong women have come together to celebrate International Women’s Day through a week-long series of digital-based campaigns to promote women’s rights amid the COVID-19 outbreak in the Kingdom.
 

Adana Mam-Legros, Kaliane Tea, Lomorpich Rithy, Laura Mam, and Nary Ung started their digital campaign on Monday and it is scheduled to go on until March 15.

The campaign includes a music video and profile series for the song ’‘Just like you’’ released by Baramey Production Company, featuring inspiring stories of women from three different generations and a series of coffee talks driven by Generation C Cambodia and Women in the City.

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Born into a family of political activists, including her mother the famed women’s rights activist Somaly Mam, French-Cambodian artist Adana Mam Legros has carried on her family’s traditions by linking her art exhibitions with her political activism. 

Mam Legros has continued her Generation C Cambodia cultural movement through her art, from her Complementarity exhibition at Rosewood Phnom Penh last October to her capsule exhibition Origins & Becoming at The Lounge at Plantation Urban Resort & Spa which opened earlier this month and runs until April 6.

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Anatta highlights important values such as solidarity, compassion, respect and responsibility inspired by past philosophies, namely Buddhist teachings and humanism.

During her speech in the middle of the show, Legros said: “I have a dream that we as the human species will be able to act positively on our destiny and understand our responsibility towards the world. I am not the only one with this dream. I am sure thousands and millions also do, but it is now that we have to understand to act and to adapt as part of the young generation to be part of this transformation, to redefine our mindset and build a new and strong foundation for the world – one that integrates new sets of values. And this is the reason why I created the Generation C movement.”

« The Art of Sharing – L’Art du Partage » est une exposition de peinture née de la collaboration entre S.E. Serey Chea et Adana Mam Legros avec pour ambition de mettre en avant les valeurs de partage et de compassion si nécessaires en ces temps difficiles.

Découverte et émotion

L’exposition sera ouverte au public le mardi 12 janvier 2021, une formidable occasion de (re) découvrir le Musée Preah Srey Içanavarman — Musée Sosoro — វរ្ម័ន ព្រះ ស្រី ឦសានវរ្ម័ន. Pour Blaise Kilian, co-directeur du musée, cette exposition permettra au public de découvrir ces deux artistes, mais aussi de mettre en avant cette partie ludique du musée que constitue l’ensemble jardin et salle d’exposition temporaire.

(ភ្នំពេញ)៖ ពិព័រណ៍គំនូរ «សិល្បៈនៃការចែករំលែក» ត្រូវបានរៀបចំឡើងដោយសារមន្ទីរសេដ្ឋកិច្ច និងរូបិយវត្ថុ ព្រះស្រីឦសានវរ្ម័ន និងក្រោមគំនិតផ្ដួចផ្ដើមរបស់ លោកស្រី ជា សិរី ឧបការីទេសាភិបាល នៃធនាគារជាតិនៃកម្ពុជា និងជាវិចិត្រការិនីមួយរូប ដែលត្រូវបានរៀបចំឡើង ដើម្បីរៃអង្គាសថវិកាជួយដល់អង្គការចំនួន៣នៅកម្ពុជា ដែលធ្វើការលើបញ្ហាសង្គម និងសុខភាពផ្លូវចិត្ត។

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“When you’re 21 years old, you’re supposed to be starting life and then you’re confronted with your death.

“It was a very spiritual journey which taught me resilience, and how to be tough and patient. I started to meditate a lot, and that taught me about awareness, my ego and the impact I can potentially have on others. I started to draw at that moment,” she says. 

Legros was stuck in the hospital bed for two months and spent another six months recovering at home, unable to go out in public.

“I was pretty much alone for probably a year,” she says, and after her cancer treatment, she travelled to New York where her interest in art started to take shape.

Rosewood Phnom Penh has collaborated with the country’s most influential and up-and-coming artists to showcase some of Cambodia’s most exciting contemporary artworks.

The event saw the artists come together to send out a unified message of the importance of humanity and women’s empowerment in today’s world.

Speaking at the event, the communications manager of Rosewood Phnom Penh Manon Pauchet said: “Our Art Gallery is delighted to welcome the new exhibition “Complimentarity”, which will be showcased between September 9 and January 10.”Prominent guests including Minister of Culture and Fine Arts Phoeurng Sackona, French Ambassador to Cambodia Eva Nguyen Binh and director-general of the National Bank of Cambodia Chea Serey attended the event. Two Cambodia-based fashion designers, Eric Raisina and

Rosewood Phnom Penh’s Art Gallery played host on September 9 to a multidisciplinary exhibition featuring the works of Cambodian artists Adana Mam Legros and Tytaart. The “Complementarity” exhibition focuses on the importance of humanity and harmonious living in society. 

During the exhibition, Adana – a French-Cambodian woman who battled cancer and became an artist – also launched another project: Generation C Cambodia (with “C” referring to convivialisme – the art of living together).

Artiste activiste, Adana a grandi au Cambodge puis étudié droit et sciences politiques en France avant de tomber gravement malade. Cet épisode malheureux qui est arrivé dans la vie de la jeune femme alors qu’elle n’avait que 21 ans lui a ouvert les yeux sur la vie et la mort, sur le fait que tout peut s’arrêter à n’importe quel moment et donc sur l’importance d’écouter ses émotions.

L'expérimentation des rêves de Adana Mam-Legros

« La plupart de mes oeuvres dévoilent une partie de moi dans laquelle j’explique  ce que j’ai vécu, j’explique ma confrontation à la vie et à la mort. Cette exposition représente pour moi le sens de la vie »

, explique la Franco-Cambodgienne pour qui « La vie c’est l’accomplissement des rêves et mon père m’a toujours dit qu’il ne fallait pas rêver petit ».

Cambodian artists Adana Mam Legros and Tyta have put together an unusual show, pairing paintings with photography. The joint effort, “Complementarity”, derives from painter Adana’s social activism and photographer Tyta’s creative endeavors, both hoping to highlight the importance of social harmony. 

Wednesday’s opening at Rosewood Art Gallery will be a star-studded affair, with fashion designers Romyda Keth (Ambre) and Eric Raisina presenting capsule collections and performances by Laura Mam and DJ Marie Thach.What’s on Phnom Penh got a chance to quiz Adana and Tyta for a hint of what to expect at the show, what driving forces brought it to life and what brought them to art.

We got candid with the bold, talkative, strongly opinionated, and ever so talented Franco-Cambodian artist and activist, Adana Mam Legros.

Adana is a Bangkok-born and Cambodian-bred international artist, who always had a passion for drawing, but only truly discovered her artistic passion when she had to battle against early cancer. Coming out as a warrior from her severe physical and psychological suffering, Adana bounced back and touched our hearts with her artwork. Spending her childhood in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, with survivors of sexual exploitation, Adana was driven to change the world with her social work and fundraising events. She also travelled to Nice, France, to study law and political science to learn more about fighting against social injustices, but her destiny had something else in store for her. After battling a life-threatening disease with such strong spirit, meditation helped her overcome her loneliness and taught her resilience.

24 years old Franco-Cambodian, I spent most of my life in Cambodia traveling around the world with my parents. I end-up in Law and Political Science University in France. During my studies my path took a different turn after falling ill. That disease transformed my soul and body and I abruptly became an artist, activist.

I remember, even if I was very young, the noise of shelling and mortars felling in our home in 1997. The sound of death traumatized me as my family was stuck in the coup and evacuated by the International Red Cross.

I understand how a child can be traumatized by war and gun powder. Those events initiate my sense of activism and the absolute necessity to fight for peace and protect children from adult’s madness, war and their consequences.

FRANCO-CAMBODIAN ARTIST AND ACTIVIST, ADANA MAM LEGROS IS THE DAUGHTER OF SOMALY MAM,
AN INTERNATIONAL ICON OF WOMEN’S RIGHTS and controversial personality ghting sexual slavery of children in Southeast Asia, and Pierre Legros, trained parasitologist and specialist in human tra cking.

Adana spent her childhood in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, with women and children survivors of sexual exploitation. The activism of her parents quickly rubs o on her education and pushes her to participate in her parents’ association at all levels: from social work to international travel for conferences. She plays a role in fundraising and accustoms herself to speech.

Pour sa 8e édition, les Brussels Fashion Days – Jours de la Mode à Bruxelles, rendez-vous incontournable des créateurs en Belgique, a proposé un bel aperçu des tendances de la mode durant un weekend.  Cette dernière édition a rassemblé quelques milliers de visiteurs.

Le défilé du samedi 12 octobre 2019 fut l’occasion de découvrir les dernières créations de la Cambodgienne Eriya Miura. Pour ce nouvel opus, l’artiste a collaboré avec la danseuse classique Kaliane Tea et Adana Mam Legros pour la réalisation de sa collection Printemps / Été 2020 intitulée «Rachana».

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« Née d’une passion pour les beaux-arts et le patrimoine culturel, cette collection a l’ambition de promouvoir les avancées en matière d’art et de mode dans les pays en développement tels que le Cambodge. Il s’agit aussi de mettre en avant le patrimoine culturel », déclare la créatrice.

កាលពីពេលថ្មីៗនេះអ្នកច្នៃម៉ូតមកពីកម្ពុជា បាននាំយកសំលៀកបំពាក់ទៅបង្ហាញនៅក្នុងកម្មវិធីដើរម៉ូត Brussels Fashion days ប្រទេស បែលហ្ស៊ិក កាលពីរាត្រីថ្ងៃទី១២ ខែតុលា ឆ្នាំ២០១៩។ យោងតាមការបង្ហោះរបស់កូនស្រីអ្នកនាង ម៉ម សុម៉ាលី ឈ្មោះ Adana Mam Legros បានឲ្យដឹងថា រូបគំនូររបស់ខ្លួនត្រូវបានដាក់ក្នុងសម្លៀកបំពាក់ របស់អ្នកច្នៃម៉ូតខ្មែរ Eriya Miura នៅឯពិធីបុណ្យដ៏ធំមួយនៅព្រុចសែល ហើយម៉ូតសម្លៀកបំពាក់នីមួយៗនិយាយអំពីមរតកនិងអត្តសញ្ញាណខ្មែរ។

ដោយកញ្ញា Adana Mam Legros បានសរសេររៀបរាប់ថា៖ “គំនូររបស់ខ្ញុំគឺបានដេរនៅលើសំពត់នេះដោយសិល្បករ Eriya Miura និង Kaliane Tea នេះគឺជាការរចនារបស់ពួកគេ ពួកគេបាននាំវប្បធម៌របស់យើងទៅអឺរ៉ុប នៅក្នុងកម្មវិធីបង្ហាញម៉ូតធំបំផុតនៅលើពិភពលោក។

Jolie Franco-Cambodgienne revenue au pays il y a quelques mois, Adana Legros Mam est devenue artiste professionnelle par le hasard du destin. Dans son appartement coquet du Quai Sisowath, la jeune femme prépare un concert et une exposition de peintures et dessins.

Adana naît en Thaïlande d’une mère cambodgienne et d’un père français. Elle vivra tout sa scolarité au Cambodge avant de partir étudier en France après son baccalauréat. Après trois ans de droit qui ne la passionnent qu’à moitié, elle reviendra au Cambodge pour réaliser un film d’ONG.

‘’C’est à ce moment que je suis tombée gravement malade et j’ai dû repartir en France subir une chimiothérapie pendant six mois’’, explique Adana.

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Elles étaient belles, talentueuses et inspirées. Ce lundi soir, dans les locaux du restaurant landmark Chinses House, des femmes, des amies, des artistes, avaient tenu à célébrer à leur façon la Journée Internationale des Femmes. Au programme de cette soirée pas tout-à-fait comme les autres, de la danse, des chansons et du live drawing.

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En introduction de cette soirée, les artistes Belle Sodhachivy Chumvan et Sour Kim Seng proposaient une danse rythmée aux mélopées du groupe musical emmené par Carrie Herbert et Clara Schandler.

Intitulé ”She is in you” – Elle est en vous, l’événement proposait ensuite une série de chansons dans un esprit très serain et new age, toujours emmenée par Carrie Fisher et ses amies musiciennes

Contexte : Il y a environ deux ans, Adana Titi, jeune étudiante Franco-Cambodgienne réalise un court-métrage au Cambodge pour la fondation Together1heart. Elle m’avait alors demandé de lui louer du matériel et de l’assister pour le tournage. Tout se passe merveilleusement bien les premiers jours. Un matin, elle me demande de tourner à sa place. ”…Je ne me sens vraiment pas bien, je dois aller à l’hôpital faire des analyses…”.

A son retour, Adana explique calmement qu’elle est probablement atteinte d’un cancer. Consternation, puis le début d’une longue bataille contre cette maladie. Aujourd’hui, Adana est sauvée, elle s’est battue, elle témoigne. Entretien :

Titre provisoire d’un court-métrage produit pour la fondation Solyna, le projet d’Adana devrait être finalisé en mai 2017 alors que les dernières images tournées à Phnom Penh et dans ses environs viennent d’être mises en boite. Adana est une métisse franco-khmère, étudiante en droit à Nice, qui a choisi de produire et réaliser l’histoire d’une jeune Cambodgienne de la campagne, victime de viol et d’une tentative de meurtre, et qui a pu être secourue in-extremis par sa mère et prise en charge ensuite par l’ONG Afesip.”…J’étudie le droit, mais j’adore être créative, la production et le montage sont deux disciplines que j’ai eu plaisir à découvrir. J’ai déjà réalisé quelques court-métrages pour le plaisir, mais c’est aujourd’hui mon premier projet vraiment professionnel…”

Cambodge Mag donne la plume à ses lecteurs sur le thème ”aimer le Cambodge”, le but étant de recueillir les impressions de ceux qui visitent régulièrement le Cambodge, qui y sont nés ou qui se sont installés durablement. Pour participer, il suffit de nous envoyer vos réponses (format Word ou message privé sur Facebook) à la liste des questions détaillée en fin de page et d’y joindre une photographie de vous. Aujourd’hui, rencontre avec Adana Legros…

Vivez-vous au Cambodge, depuis quand ? (Si vous ne vivez pas au Cambodge, y venez-vous souvent ?) 

Je suis née au Cambodge et y suis restée jusqu’à l’age de 18 ans. Je suis retourné en France après l’obtention de mon baccalauréat. Je retournes au moins une fois par an au Cambodge pour revoir ma famille.