Deminer Monument

In late 2009 I was asked to submit a design for a monument to celebrate 10 years of Tokyo Okinawa Japan Rotary supporting the British Demining agency HALO Trust in Cambodia between 2000-2010.

My design of a Deminer kneeling whilst holding a mine detector was approved and a workshop space was set up in Phnom Penh. KIM Samdy and CHHEA Bunna replicated my design from a clay maquette with some photographic reference. The Deminer monument was made with a steel frame and cement. Cambodians are very skilled at decorative work in cement but a contemporary sculptural design was more challenging. With some fine-tuning we achieved the finish we wanted.

Unveiled at Le Meridien hotel in February 2010 to an audience consisting of Cambodian Government officials, agencies working within mine clearance, Japanese Okinawa Japan rotary officials, the artists and invited guests. I was humbled to receive a rather beautiful engraved metal certificate of appreciation recognising my dedication and the distinctive work of the Khmer Deminer’s monument. 

The Deminer monument is permanently displayed at the HALO Trust compound on the outskirts of Siem Reap in Cambodia.