His Excellency Prak Sonnara, Secretary of State, representing the Minister, leads the Cambodian delegation to the inauguration of the Khmer sculpture exhibition in Australia.
On the afternoon of June 19, 2026, in Sydney, Australia, H.E. Prak Sonnara, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and Chairman of the Secretariat of the Inter-Ministerial Committee for Coordinating, Evaluating, and Inspecting Khmer Antiquities for Foreign Exhibitions—representing Her Excellency Doctor Academician Phoeurng Sackona, Minister of Culture and Fine Arts and Chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Committee—led a Cambodian delegation to the official opening of a Khmer sculpture exhibition. The delegation also included H.E. Bong Sovath, representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and member of the Inter-Ministerial Committee, alongside several technical colleagues.
This temporary exhibition will run for a duration of four months, from June 20, 2026, until October 5, 2026, at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Entitled “Avatar: Forms of Vishnu,” the showcase features nine exceptional artifacts on loan from the Kingdom of Cambodia (comprising five stone sculptures, one bronze piece, and three paintings) depicting the various incarnations (avatars) of the Hindu deity Vishnu. These Masterworks are displayed alongside approximately 200 other artworks honoring Vishnu sourced from world-renowned institutions, including the National Museum of New Delhi, CSMVS in Mumbai, MAP in Bengaluru, the British Museum, the Ashmolean Museum, the National Gallery of Australia, the National Gallery of Victoria, and the host gallery itself.
The nine artifacts sent from Cambodia highlight the artistic evolution of Vishnu’s avatars across the Pre-Angkor and Angkor eras, complemented by post-Angkorian narrative paintings. While exhibitions of Khmer antiquities have been hosted in Australia in the past, this “Avatar: Forms of Vishnu” temporary exhibition marks the first time in approximately five years that Khmer sculptures have been brought to Australian soil for public display.
