Siem Reap: Plaster Carving in Khmer Style｜Cambodia

Your experience begins at SM Art Center, Cambodia's first contemporary art museum in Siem Reap. After exchanging your ticket at our counter, you'll make your way through the museum grounds to meet your artist instructor at the workshop studio.

Over the course of this fun-filled 3-hour session, you and your family will learn expert stone-carving techniques — practiced on plaster instead of stone for an easier, more approachable experience. Your artist will guide you step by step through the traditional carving style found in the temples of the Angkor area, a craft passed down through generations of Khmer artisans.

Working at your own pace, you'll carve your own original piece, learning the patterns and motifs that have decorated Cambodia's temples for centuries. Once your carving is complete, you can personalize it further by adding gold leaf or hand-painting it — a finishing touch that makes your piece truly one of a kind.

All materials are included, along with entrance to the museum and a drink of your choice to enjoy afterward in SM Art Center's gardens. No carving experience is needed — just curiosity and a willingness to create. You'll leave not only with a handmade piece to take home, but with a genuine connection to Cambodian artistic heritage.