Presence Beyond Time: A Sacred Axis of Seeing
At the threshold of Angkor Wat, a god waits without speaking. Eight arms extend from a body cloaked in jasmine and sequined saffron. Known as Ta Reach—the King of the Ancestors—he stands not as relic, but as presence. To encounter Him is to feel a hush enter the chest. To photograph Him is to listen more than to frame.
Lucas Varro arrived before dawn. The corridor smelled of sandalwood and time. Pilgrims moved like breath. When the hush within the gopura and the hush within the artist aligned, the shutter opened for a single long exposure—medium format black-and-white film receiving what words cannot hold. In the studio, light and shadow were shaped through classical chiaroscuro and hours of hand-toning until presence returned to the print.
Here, Vishnu does not dominate—He dwells. His smile, grave yet human, holds both creation and dissolution in balance. This is Cambodia’s soul: ancient, wounded, luminous. Within the Spirit of Angkor series, Presence Beyond Time stands as a sacred axis—an image through which all others quietly orbit.
The edition is limited to 25, with 2 Artist’s Proofs reserved. Each print is signed, numbered, hand-toned, and printed on museum-grade Hahnemühle Bamboo paper—chosen for its softness, sustainability, and reverent tactility. Included are a Certificate of Authenticity and Collector’s Print Folio Statement.
To live with this work is to welcome a presence—not loud, but unyielding. A gaze that remains.
Also in My Journal
A Scroll Carried by Wind
Zhou Daguan came to Angkor to observe—but found a kingdom that defied explanation. This introductory scroll welcomes new readers into The Wind That Carried Me to Zhenla: a poetic resurrection of the 13th-century emissary’s journey, revoiced with reverence, wonder, and the hush of temple stone.
The Goddess of the Golden Tower
There is a tower the moon remembers—where a king once climbed in silence, and a goddess wove humility into gold. Though the spire has faded, her presence lingers in the hush between breath and stone, waiting for the next soul who dares to kneel before the unseen.
Phimeanakas and the Goddess of Sovereignty
Within the Royal Enclosure of Angkor Thom stands Phimeanakas—the Celestial Palace. More than a monument, it is a myth made stone: where kings bowed to the goddess of the land, and sovereignty meant surrender. A contemplative meditation on sacred architecture, divine right, and the quiet power that still lives between the stones.
