French artist Théo Vallier, a pioneer of Cambodia's street art movement and a Phnom Penh resident since 2007, has unveiled his latest collection, "Rust ‘n’ Streets," at Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra. The hotel’s 31st exhibition showcases Vallier's unique blend of Khmer mythology and urban aesthetics, utilising rusted metal as his canvas. 

His compelling work immortalises the essence of the city's urban life and cultural heritage, capturing everyday scenes from bustling markets to the quiet resilience of street vendors through his signature layered rust technique.

Vallier’s work, which captures everyday scenes from bustling markets to the quiet resilience of street vendors, is created using a layered rust technique. 

“The inspiration is coming from the street because I used to do a lot of street art in graffiti when I was younger, so the idea was to try to recreate in the studio, a kind of similar texture that can find in the street," Vallier told The Post on the opening day of the Rust ‘n’ Streets Exhibition, February 28. 

Vallier explained that his process began with a simple recreation of a little piece of rust in his studio, which sparked his desire to replicate the textures he observed on the streets.

“So at the start I had a little piece of rust in my studio and I tried to recreate that kind of texture that I could see in the street,” he said.

He experimented using only white paint, manipulating it to create a rust-like effect, sometimes employing a white pen and water. This exploration led to the idea of layering three distinct applications of rusted white paint, each applied over the previous, creating varying levels of oxidation and depth in his work.

Vallier’s technique involves layering three distinct levels of rust, each applied to white paint, to create a textured and contrasting effect.

His work aims to replicate the ‘Golden Age’ of Phnom Penh, a simpler time. Post staff

“Overlaying all the different layers with different kind of rust level creates the contrast. So all the images are made like that, and all the style of the image, they are all pictures that I take myself. The idea is to recreate a little bit of the old Phnom Penh, and the aesthetic of the street,” he said, adding that the exhibition also features four pieces depicting Bangkok, a departure from Vallier’s usual focus on Phnom Penh.

Vallier aims to capture the essence of a bygone era, particularly the “Golden Age" of Phnom Penh, which he was reminded of when he first arrived in the capital.

French artist Théo Vallier stands in front of one of his pieces. Post staff

He took all the photos himself, but he had to edit some objects to take the scene back to the Golden Age. 

“In all of the paintings there no fancy cars or anything like that. It's like a daily lifestyle rather like, you can say, like more low level. I'm trying to keep an old vibe, when I take pictures I try to make sure there are no fancy cars or new vehicles,” he said.

“I delete them on the computer with Photoshop and I add another like old bike or something, even if the bike riders are wearing helmets, I just edit out their heads and put another one to make more of that old feeling, like when nobody was wearing helmets and it was all just a different vibe. It's in the early, like before the war, like around the 60s or 70s – This kind of idea,” he added.

Impressed guests pore over the details of the artwork at Théo Vallier's "Rust ‘n’ Streets" exhibition. Post staff

Vallier explained that he was drawn to depict the “Golden Age” of Phnom Penh, a period he felt he had glimpsed when he first arrived in the city two decades ago. He expressed a sense of nostalgia for that era, noting that the atmosphere he remembered was fading and he aimed to recapture and preserve that feeling through his art.

“I chose to work on what they call the Golden Age. I guess, maybe maybe because it's the feeling I had when I arrived like 20 years ago, it was still a little bit like that, but that vibe is a disappearing a little bit right now in Phnom Penh. Its something I remember and I'm trying to bring back,” Vallier explained.

Artist Vallier and Charles-Henri Chevet, area general manager of Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra, speak at the exhibition's opening. Post staff

Charles-Henri Chevet, area general manager of Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra, highlighted the exhibition’s significance and how unique it is to have heavy metal pieces like this hanging in the gallery, rather than canvas.

“Art has the power to preserve memory while embracing transformation. Théo Vallier's Rust n' Streets is a tribute to Cambodia's rich cultural identity, blending tradition with the raw energy of modern life. His work speaks to our philosophy at Sofitel — where heritage and contemporary creativity converge. We are honoured to showcase this exceptional exhibition,” he said.

"Rust ‘n’ Streets" will be on display at Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra Art Gallery until April 30, 2025, from 8am to 10pm. Admission is free.