A SPECIAL exhibition will be held tonight at the Friends Centre at Angkor Hospital for Children in Siem Reap, featuring photos from a book just  produced by children’s NGO, Anjali.

The book, Cambodia, Our Vision, which sells at US$35, is a collection of photographs taken by more than 50 of the children from Anjali, giving their unique insights into and interpretations of the world around them.  The photographs are the results of many workshops over the years managed by the Angkor Photo Festival and with visiting photographers.  

At the heart of tonight’s exhibition are 14 photographs from nine young Anjali photographers, aged from eight to 18.  Amongst them are images by Try Sophal, 18, and Sokdam, 17, whose work can also be seen this week at the Angkor Photo Gallery and the Hotel de la Paix.

Sophal won top student award from the You Khin Memorial Women’s Art Prize in June this year.  “Sophal manages to capture really intimate moments,” says Sam Flint, the director of Anjali.  “She creates some very strong portraits. Right now she’s working on a solo exhibition next year.”

Among others exhibiting is Daney, aged eight, who is blind in one eye and at risk from a degenerative disease.  Her sister is already blind.  The Angkor Hospital for Children is monitoring Daney’s condition. Sales of the book  will raise funds to support Anjali, created four years ago out of the Angkor Photo Festival.