• Society

Trash Inspires Artist’s Hope for Environment

• By Zul Rorvy
• December 31, 2022 11:50 AM

PHNOM PENH – Ream Monysilong transforms plastic, kitchen and organic waste into artworks to raise awareness about the environment and pollution caused by garbage.

He started the work in 2009 after joining a paper recycling organization in Siem Reap.

Standing by a booth at the 3rd Ecotourism Forum, he said the idea came when his family swept garbage in front of the house and burned it and he was poisoned by the smoke.

He mixes old paper with organic waste, then uses plastic mixed with organic waste to make paper for his painting. Another source of material comes from waste such as eggshells, duck eggs, fish skin, shellfish and vegetables that do not rot.

At the ecotourism forum, he exhibited ancient and contemporary paintings recycled from waste.

Monysilong said he did not get support at first from those around him but he never gave up because of his love for the environment.

“They told me I am crazy to do useless thing,” he said, “How can we sell them to make income? But it’s not about money, but with love.”

His critics have now returned to support and acknowledge the 37-year-old artist's abilities.

He produces paintings from 10cm by 20cm up to 3m with prices from $10 to $3,000 each. His works are produced mostly for foreigners.

“I want to show the public, especially young people, about the consequences of using plastic to contribute to environmental protection,” he said.

“The art we create is their waste and we bring it to inspire the next generation to realize that useless things become useful and contribute to reducing the use of plastic,” he said.

In terms of processing, it takes a lot of effort compared to ordinary painting. It takes time to find the raw material items to be cleaned and steamed one by one.

Become an artist by learning from others

He entered first grade at the age of 14,  late compared to other children but had loved painting since childhood. He dropped out of school after fourth grade because his family could not continue to send him.

At first, he helped his family with farming and herding cattle but developed a habit of painting on the ground. The painting caught the attention of his mother who sent him to study painting with her nephew.

A new page in the life of Monysilong turned but he was slower than his classmates and studied for three years as opposed to their year or two.

After mastering this painting, he began his career as a pagoda painter mostly about the history of the Buddha and the deities.

Then he volunteered at an organization that recycles paper in 2009 and started working as a scrap artist.

Lost hope as an artist because of poverty

He was engaged in the arts as a waste processor for about four  years but gave up and turned to work as a vegetable grower.

“Due to my family’s poverty and the lack of supporters, I gave up to grow vegetables for export to Taiwan,” he said.

Things did not go as planned. Drought damaged his crops around 2013 or 2014 and he returned to work as an artist in 2015.

“My father told me to do whatever I wanted if it can help our family and help our society, so I came up with ideas and saw them fleshed out as garbage processing,” he said.

Today, he is also well known to the public in organizations, government institutions, the private sector and foreigners who  give their support.