Samen Khun
Khun Samen [or Samén] ឃុន សាម៉េន (b. 9 Sept. 1948, Prey Veng Province) is a Cambodian Professor of Khmer Art History and Museology who was the director of Phnom Penh National Museum (now National Museum of Cambodia) from 1996 to 2007, acting as a curator of the collection before. He was succeeded by, respectively, Hab Touch ហាប់ ទូច (b. 1963), Ms Oum Phalline អ៊ុន ផល្លីន (b.1951), Kong Vireak គង់ វីរៈ (b. 1972) and, since 2020, by Chhay Visoth ឆាយ វិសុទ្ធ (b. 1978).
Khun Samen authored the first comprehensive guide of the Museum published after the civil war (1st edition 2006, in English, French and Khmer). At that time, he was also the curator of the first major exhibition since the civil war, Preah Neang Tevi. He also curated Post Angkorian Buddha Statues exhibition in 2000 — now part of the permanent exhibition at the Museum and The Ganesa of the National Museum [co-curator with Bertrand Porte], also in 2000.
After his retirement from National Museum, Khun Samen has kept teaching Khmer methodology and Khmer iconography at Royal University of Fine Arts (RUFA), Department of Archaeology.
Publications
- [dissertation adviser] ការចុះបញ្ជីសារពើភណ្ឌ នៃវត្ថុសិល្បៈ នៅសារមន្ទីរជាតិភ្នំពេញ ចាប់ពីឆ្នាំ១៩៩៦ ដល់ ១៩៩៧ ដោយនិស្សិតនាក់ រំអង, សុខ ហ៊ុនលី, ដឹកនាំដោយសាស្ត្រាចារ្យ ឃុនសាម៉េន [Inventory listing of art objects at the National Museum of Phnom Penh from 1996 to 1997, by students Rom Ang and Sok Hunly], 1998.
- [preface to] Son Soubert, Olivier de Bernon, ព្រះគណេសរបស់សារមន្ទីរជាតិ —Les Ganesa du Musée National —The Ganesa of the National Museum, exhibition at the National Museum of Phnom Penh 20 March — 31 May 2000, Ministere de la Culture et des Beaux-Arts, Phnom Penh, 2000 [curated by Khun Samen and Bertrand Porte].
- Post Angkorian Buddha [photos by Darren Campbell], White Lotus Press, Phnom Penh, 2000.
- ពិព័រណ៍អចិន្ត្រៃយ៍ “ពុទ្ធបដិមា សម័យក្រោយអង្គរ” សម្ភោធពីថ្ងៃទី២៨ ខែតុលា ឆ្នាំ២០០០ នៅសារមន្ទីរជាតិ ភ្នំពេញ [The permanent exhibition “Post-Angkorian Buddha Statue” inaugurated on October 28, 2000 at the National Museum of Phnom Penh], 2001.
- The new guide to the National Museum — មគ្គុទ្ទេសក៍ថ្មី សំរាប់សារមន្ទីរជាតិ — ភ្នំពេញ — Le nouveau guide du Musée National, Phnom Penh, 1st ENG, KH, FR edition, Phnom Penh Dept. of Museums, Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, 2002. [repub. Ariyathoar, Phnom Penh, 2007].
- [dissertation adviser] ការប្រគល់មកវិញនូវចលនសម្បត្តិវប្បធម៌ពីបរទេស ដោយនិស្សិត ប៉ែន វក្ខានីត, ដឹកនាំដោយសាស្ត្រាចារ្យ សេងសោត, ឃុន សាម៉េន [The return of cultural heritage from abroad by student Pen Vakhanit, directed by Professor Seng Sot and Khun Samen] 2003.
- Preah Neang Tevi: Collections of the National Museum, Department of Museums, Phnom Penh, 2006.
- Prasat Preah Vihear, Japan Printing House, Phnom Penh, 2008 [photographs by Khun Samen and Nguon Sophal] .
