PROJECT ARCHIVE

MY SOUL OF GOLD: A CONTEMPORARY OFFERING OF KHMER HERITAGE

full archive here

April 11th-27th 2025 Featuring: Hao Taing, Gabriella Sour, Sara Gregor

Supported by:  Minnesota Historical Society, Cambodian-American Partnership of Minnesota, XIA Gallery Cafe

My Soul of Gold is a multidisciplinary cultural project and exhibition that explores Cambodian heritage through the lenses of art, dance, photography, and storytelling. Centered around the themes of memory, identity, and spiritual symbolism, the project highlights the richness of Khmer traditions while reflecting on personal and collective narratives within the Cambodian-American community. Featuring visual artworks, traditional Cambodian dance performances, and photographic series, My Soul of Gold invites viewers into a meditative exploration of the “golden” qualities that have sustained and shaped Khmer identity—wisdom, resilience, and beauty. The title draws from a classic Khmer poem and serves as a metaphor for cultural pride and continuity. The exhibition also honors Cambodia’s royal heritage and Buddhist roots, with curated installations that blend historical reverence and contemporary reinterpretation.

Curated by Sara Gregor of Apsara Creative LLC April 2025

CAMBODIAN NEW YEAR (APRIL 2025)

Curated by: Sara Gregor

This project showcases a series of graphic designs created to promote Watt Munisotaram’s Cambodian New Year 2025 celebrations. The designs highlight key elements of Khmer culture and spirituality, featuring educational spotlights on Koreak Tevy (the Monday Angel), the symbolism of the Four Faces, and the Seven Guardian Angels of the New Year tradition. Blending photography by Hao Taing with vibrant layouts and traditional iconography, the graphics were curated to engage the community and deepen understanding of Cambodian customs. The collection includes event flyers, educational panels, and social media visuals, reflecting both artistic creativity and cultural reverence.

Designed by Sara Gregor of the Apsara Creative LLC April 2025.

Apsara Magazine Designs

These mock-up magazine covers were created as part of a branding and concept design project for Apsara Magazine, a digital and print publication exploring Cambodian art, culture, and Buddhist traditions. The designs blend classical and contemporary imagery—featuring dance, temple architecture, and symbolic motifs like the nāga (serpent)—to reflect the magazine’s mission of honoring heritage while engaging modern audiences. These unpublished prototypes serve to visually position Apsara Magazine as an elegant, culturally rich platform for storytelling and creative exploration.

Designed by Sara Gregor of the Apsara Creative LLC.

Love in the Persianate World

This zine project was created for my college religious studies course Love in the Persianate World with Professor Ahoo Najafian. The work explores my personal understanding of the course material through collage art, original poems, and curated themes that resonated with me deeply. Drawing from lessons on Sufi mysticism, Persian poetry, and the complexities of love—both divine and human—the zine reflects on beauty, desire, spirituality, and attachment. Through visual and textual storytelling, it offers an intimate response to the philosophical and literary traditions we studied, reimagined through my own creative lens.

Created and Designed by Sara Gregor (before establishment of Apsara Creative)

SPACES REBIRTH MAGAZINE   (SPRING 2023)

Curated by: Sara Gregor

SPACES: Rebirth (2023)

In 2023, during my senior year at Macalester College, I led the revival of SPACES, a historically BIPOC-led student arts magazine that had been dormant since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Recognizing the critical importance of creative expression and representation, I petitioned to reestablish the magazine and its affiliated student organization. I recruited and directed a new editorial team, led workshops and meetings, oversaw content creation, and managed marketing and design. I also organized a community photo shoot and played a hands-on role in graphic design and publication layout. Under my leadership, SPACES regained official recognition on campus, securing funding to ensure its sustainability for future student cohorts.

Directed by Sara Gregor (before establishment of Apsara Creative LLC)