A RECREATION OF APSARA
c. keo // October 12, 2021 // creative process
Rebirth is a piece I’d done quite a while ago, and back then it wasn’t called rebirth, but simply Apsara. You can read how it got its name in another post.
This post gives you a glimpse of how this illustration came about. Its creation did not happen overnight. There was quite a bit of time between the development phases.
TRAVELING AUSTRALIA
It was 2014 and I was traveling Australia, where I stayed on a countryside campsite, which was mainly populated by backpackers. I carried a sketchbook around as usual, in which I wrote my thoughts and ideas. Basically anything that comes to mind that might become useful someday.
While laying in my tent one night, the idea of designing a deck of playing cards popped up. These cards have images that can be faced upside down, and I loved this idea.
THE FIRST SKETCH
For those who know me well know my fascination with human anatomy.
BACK HOME
A year later I returned to the Netherlands to start my illustration business. I needed new illustrations and as I flipped through old sketches I felt this one was missing something.
It needed something quintessentially Khmer. What is more iconic than the image of the Apsara? In addition, the “mokot” (Apsara headdress) was added.
APPLICATIONS OF THE PIECE
I wasn’t aiming to give a deeper meaning during its creation. This came afterwards, more from my environment.
Now that this work is here, I started looking for use cases. Of course, what first comes to mind is a print. Take a look in my webshop to see it as a print.
Other uses include a tattoo and a mural. I’ll explore more ways to apply this piece, and maybe you have some ideas too. What could you use this piece for? Feel free to leave a comment below.
