We need not shy away from the gaze of the stone Brahma any longer, but can look him in the eye with pride and dignity.

This picture is a hopeful image of the future for the world from a Cambodian perspective. We need peace and want to live in freedom from fear and the feeling of inferiority. All people must adopt the four basic precepts of a virtuous life represented here by the four-faced figure of Preah Brum (Brahma). The head of the Bayon is the work of our Khmer ancestors. But I have painted the chest of this figure to represent a woman breast feeding her child. I want to portray the process of passing on from one generation to the next, as a process which must be compassionate, non-judgmental and understanding, just like the love between a mother and a child. We have to do whatever is needed to ensure that war, terror, killing and hatred disappear from this planet. The black cloth with red blood stains is being opened by a hand to reveal the scene of nursing. I want this happy moment of the Cambodian people to be shared with the outside world: a dark period is being lifted from our country and we begin to see a light of hope, giving us strength to face the many outstanding problems.
We do not need to shy away from the gaze of the stone Brahma any longer, but can look him in his eyes with pride and dignity.