Young Cambodian artists will be displaying their creative talents during the fourth annual Reek Sai Khmer Cultural Art Exhibition at the Chaktomuk Conference Hall this weekend.

The two-day event, first organised by a group of culture-conscious students from the Royal University of Fine Arts in 2012, will feature exclusively student artists. The theme of this year’s event is “Achievement and Future”.

The point of the gathering, said lead organiser Proumchin Vicheth, was to promote Khmer art among the younger generations as well as to educate young Cambodians about the importance of cultural preservation.

“We encourage young people to love Khmer identity, preserve and develop their works,” said Vicheth.

“We’ve gathered artists with different artistic achievements and products to be in one place for the public,” he added.

The weekend will feature colourful paintings, art workshops, chapei dang veng – a single stringed instrument – performances, film screenings, traditional Khmer games, speeches by artists and historians and even sketchbook competitions.

There will also be performances of Lakhon Khol, a masked dance featuring shadow-puppets enacting the Reamker Khmer epic.

Vicheth said the exhibition was an opportunity for aspiring artists to gain exposure with a wider audience. Last year’s brought in around 1,000 people, he said. This year he was hoping for more.

“The exhibition has been organised as a chance for artists to display their achievements to local or international audiences who come to visit,” said the organiser.

“I hope that this exhibition will encourage artists to start creating artistic works to show off at the next event,” he added.

Supporters of Reek Sai include the Royal University of Fine Arts, the Royal University of Phnom Penh, Pannasastra University, the Institute of Technology and Build Bright University.

The Khmer Cultural Art Exhibition will be held tomorrow and Sunday at the Chaktomuk Conference Hall on Sisowath Quay from 8am-8pm. Tickets for the Lakhon Khol performances cost $5 per person or $4 for students. Free entry for general admission. For more information telephone 010 552 372, 089 605 366 or 011 505 276.