Dina CHHAN

Contemporary Cambodian painter and sculptor

Dina Chhan (b. 1984) is an internationally recognized Cambodian painter and sculptor living and working in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. With a career spanning over two decades, her practice explores the vibrant rhythms of daily Cambodian life, rural heritage, female resilience, and environmental conservation through expressive oil paintings and ceramic sculptures.

Artist biography and creative journey

Born in Phnom Penh in 1984, Dina Chhan began her formal artistic path under the tutelage and guidance of American art teacher Ronald Reimann. Over the past twenty years, she has developed a distinct visual language that moves seamlessly between figurative storytelling and sweeping abstraction. As one of Cambodia’s leading contemporary female artists, Dina has dedicated her career not only to her studio practice but also to building the broader visual arts community. She established Dina Art Gallery in Phnom Penh in 2018 to showcase her lifelong portfolio alongside rotating exhibitions of contemporary Cambodian masters and emerging artists.

Artistic style, mediums and techniques

Dina’s work is recognized for its dynamic energy, fluid motion, and rich textural depth. Her aesthetic bridges classic techniques with bold modern experimentation.

Oil and acrylic on canvas

Characterized by fast, calligraphic brushstrokes, vibrant palettes, and thick impasto layers. Her paintings often feature intricate, woven compositions where figures blend into natural and architectural landscapes.

Ceramic sculptures

Tactile sculptures that bind sculpted clay directly onto reclaimed Cambodian mango wood, cement, or steel.

Layered Abstraction

Oscillating between representation and abstract forms, Dina delights in embedding hidden details and subtle symbolic gifts for the dedicated observer.

Previous themes and cultural vision

Everyday Life & Rural Endurance

Dina’s creations celebrate Cambodian communities. Her canvases portray market sellers, Tonle Sap fishermen, rice-field workers, and bustling street vendors to name just a few.

Female resilience

Women often feature as central figures across Dina’s body of work. In works like Bamboo Market, female market vendors are depicted as the vital, inseparable stewards of commerce, family, and community life.

Environmental and wildlife conservation

Dina frequently depicts vulnerable native species of Cambodia such as the Sarus crane and giant Ibis within wetland habitats, raising awareness of habitat preservation and the delicate balance of the natural ecosystems that support our planet.

Milestones

United Nations Permanent Collection (New York) Dina was the only female Cambodian artist to participate in the United Nations mine action program addressing explosive remnants of war in Cambodia. Her landmark sculpture created for the initiative remains on permanent display at the UN Headquarters in New York.

National Museum of Cambodia Curations In 2017, Dina co-curated the historic reBIRTH reVITALISE reGENERATION exhibition. It was the the first contemporary art exhibition held at the National Museum of Cambodia and returned in 2023 to curate a landmark international showcase.

International Awards Recipient of the prestigious Cambodia Laos Myanmar Thailand Vietnam (CLMTV) Young Artist of 2015 Award and was a nominee for the You Khin Memorial Women's Art Prize.

Global Exhibitions. Her artwork has been exhibited extensively in China (including the Kunming Art Biennale), Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and the United States.

Exhibition History

2026: Roots of the Village: Stories of Soil, Water, and Survival, Rosewood Phnom Penh
2024: Solo Showcase, Sofitel Siem Reap
2023: International Contemporary Showcase, National Museum of Cambodia
2023: Exhibitions in Shenzhen, Shanghai, and Beijing, China
2022: Commercial Feature Installation, The Body Shop Flagship Store
2021: Featured Artist, Hyatt Regency & Futures Factory Phnom Penh
2018: Kunming Art Biennale, Yunnan Art Museum, China
2017: National Museum of Cambodia
2017: Da Nang Fine Art Museum, Vietnam
2010: The Art of Dirt, Denver, USA
2009: IMPACT, United Nations Headquarters, New York, USA

Inquiries

Dina CHHAN accepts private painting commissions, site-specific sculptural installations, corporate art leasing, and live painting performances worldwide, see our services for more information.