Commissioned by the AEDA (Asian Economic Development Association of Minnesota)

អប្សរា (Apsara) in Mni Sota Makoce, the title of this piece, weaves together Cambodian mythology and Indigenous Dakota land acknowledgment.

"Mni Sota Makoce," meaning “the land where the waters reflect the sky” in the Dakota language, honors the ancestral homeland of the Dakota people. By placing the Apsara—a celestial dancer and cultural icon of Cambodia—within this landscape, the work becomes a meditation on migration, memory, and sacred femininity across place and time. It celebrates both the resilience of Southeast Asian communities in Minnesota and the Indigenous roots of the land they now call home.

Apsaras in Mni Sota Makoce is a three-panel painted mural honoring 50 years of Khmer cultural presence and resilience in Minnesota. Each of the  three panels features a radiant Apsara dancer set against a meaningful Minnesotan landmark:

● One dances before the Minnesota State Capitol, symbolizing civic visibility and belonging.

● One stands in front of Watt Munisotaram, Minnesota’s largest Cambodian Buddhist temple, representing spiritual and cultural continuity.

● One moves gracefully beside Minnehaha Falls, evoking nature, healing, and rootedness in the native land.

Apsaras—celestial dancers from Khmer mythology—have been represented in Cambodian art and architecture for centuries, adorning the walls of Angkor Wat and other sacred temples. To embody the Apsara through dance is an act of deep devotion, requiring years of discipline,grace, and spiritual presence.

This mural is inspired not only by the classical iconography of Apsaras but by the living legacy of Cambodian-American dance troupes who continue to teach and perform the Apsara dance throughout the diaspora. I have had the honor of training with Wattanak Dance Troupe, whose dedication to cultural preservation and community storytelling has shaped this work. Their Apsara performances at the Minnesota Dance and International Festival (MNDIF) and the Minnesota Ballet Festival were a vision of resilience, ancestral pride, and living heritage.

In this mural, the Apsaras are reimagined as symbols of Khmer identity in motion—dancing across civic, spiritual, and natural landscapes that represent the evolving story of Cambodian life in Minnesota.

Wattanak Dance Troupe will perform for the opening of the night market at 5PM on Saturday June 28th 2025.