Arts & International Affairs: Volume 2, Number 2 | Page 41

Art is Universal – Society is
Local
Chankethya Chey
Chankethya “Kethya” Chey was born in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The daughter of political figures,
Kethya dreamt of being an ambassador or prime minister, but not a dancer. She began to study
classical dance at the age of five, and was part of a tour to Europe at the age of nine. Since then
she has never stopped dancing, and has performed with the Cambodia Royal Ballet Troupe touring
Europe and Asia. She received a bachelor’s degree in the Faculty of Choreographic Arts from the
Royal University of Fine Arts in Phnom Penh, and a bachelor’s degree in English from the Royal
University of Phnom Penh. After thirteen years of dancing and creating pieces that engage both
personal and political history, she encountered contemporary dance for the first time by participating
in a Southeast Asian dance project called “Realizing Rama.” The experience changed her life. She
was intrigued by the freedom, the freshness, and the creativity that arose out of the new dance style.
This inspired her to go to UCLA for a three-month choreography and arts management fellowship
where she was exposed to different dance forms. She then received a Fulbright scholarship to obtain
her MFA at UCLA. She returned to Cambodia in 2014 and became the Artistic Director of Amrita
Performing Arts.
The categorization between high and low appears to be the result of social
tendencies to value works that speak to the familiar. Finding art accessible
or applicable to one’s own condition can increase its perceived value.
Consequently, art is assessed by public opinion, not its intrinsic nature.
Art is a reflection of people and their social context. It also unifies differences
and brings awareness. Countries around the world create cultural exchange
programs through art to develop mutual understanding between different
cultures, countries, and people. For this reason, it should not be placed in
different levels such as high or low.
For whom is an artwork created? Artists often create
for specific audiences, but that does not preclude
others from appreciating their works. If the work
speaks finds a way to connect, that piece has value.
Commercial art does have this ability to connect; it
should not be classified as low just because it is not
ballet or opera. All artistic creations, regardless of
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