Black and white charcoal drawings of Phnom Penh’s future were selected for the official opening exhibition of The Insider Gallery at InterContinental Hotel Phnom Penh yesterday.

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Kong Vollak’s nightmarish cityscape, on display at The Insider Gallery.

The new gallery nestles comfortably on the mezzanine floor of the hotel and gives in-house and walk-in guests “an insight of what is going on in the cultural and artistic scene in Phnom Penh”, according to InterContinental Hotel Phnom Penh spokesperson Jenny Tchen.

Khmer drawer Kong Vollak is the first artist to have a collection of work, Futurebuild, displayed in the infant gallery.

“The creation of The Insider Gallery is for us at InterContinental a way to reinforce our commitment to the artists of the community and to the cultural and artistic scene in Phnom Penh,” Tchen said.

“Kong Vollak is a young, dynamic and very creative Khmer artist. Futurebuild is thought-provoking and totally reflects his personality. This was what we were looking for our very first exhibition.”

Kong Vollak’s collection of elemental construction and fanciful cityscapes drawings intend to spur feelings of uncertainty, wonder and pleasure.

The Insider Gallery will hold a different exhibition of paintings, drawings, photography, sculptures or architecture every month to promote local artists and their work.

The gallery, which was only a few months in the making, was spurred by an art exhibition in November with Northbridge International School.

“We were very proud to present that exhibition as it allowed students to share their work with the larger community of Phnom Penh and it gave them an opportunity to be part of a professional art show,” Tchen said.

“We just wanted to extend this to the artists living in Cambodia.”

Kong Vollak’s Futurebuild will be displayed in the gallery until February 26. The second show in March, called Ultimate Angkor and Beyond, will be by Siem Reap photographer Eric de Vries.

Tchen said in return for giving local artists a gallery to display their work she hoped they would be encouraged to make a donation to Project Hammer, an NGO founded by InterContinental Hotel Group employees in Singapore which raises funds to build houses for the underprivileged.