Samen Khun

Portrait of Samen   Khun

Khun Samen [or Samén] ឃុន សាម៉េន (b. 1943) is a Cambodian Professor of Khmer Art History who was the director of Phnom Penh National Museum (now National Museum of Cambodia) from 1996 to 2009, 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.

Publications

  • [dissertation adviser] ការចុះបញ្ជីសារពើភណ្ឌ នៃវត្ថុសិល្បៈ នៅសារមន្ទីរជាតិភ្នំពេញ ចាប់ពីឆ្នាំ១៩៩៦ ដល់ ១៩៩៧ ដោយនិស្សិត​នាក់ រំអង, សុខ ហ៊ុនលី, ដឹកនាំដោយសាស្ត្រាចារ្យ ឃុន​សាម៉េន [Inventory listing of art objects at the National Museum of Phnom Penh from 1996 to 1997, by students Rom Ang and Sok Hunly], 1998.
  • [with Bertrand Porte] 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, Ministére de la Culture et des Beaux-Arts, Phnom Penh, 2000.
  • 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 សេង​សោត, 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.
  • [with Nguon Sophal] Prasat Preah Vihear, Japan Printing House, Phnom Penh, 2008.
Khun samen 1st time angkor wat 1983
My first time at Angkor Wat, 1983” [author’s Facebook page]