The Stillness That Sees – Carvings of the Buddha at Angkor

Photographs from the Spirit of Angkor series by Lucas Varro

Among the broken corridors and sacred chambers of Angkor, the Buddha endures—not in proclamation, but in presence. Carved in stone with infinite quietude, these figures gaze not outward, but inward, inviting the viewer to step into a silence beyond time. Faces worn smooth by centuries of wind and devotion, hands resting in the mudra of stillness or blessing—each image is less a monument than a meditation.

At Angkor, Buddhist carvings reveal a shift in the sacred landscape: from conquest to compassion, from power to peace. Whether nestled in shadowed niches or centred beneath naga hoods, these Buddhas do not speak—but they remain. Radiant in erosion. Unmoving in light.

In this contemplative collection from the Spirit of Angkor series, Lucas Varro brings his large and medium format analogue cameras into intimate dialogue with these carved sanctities. Each photograph—shaped through long exposure, chiaroscuro, and hand-toning—honours not only the image of the Buddha, but the awareness it embodies. A gaze returned through stone. A breath suspended in dust and gold.

Printed in limited editions on museum-grade Hahnemühle Bamboo paper, each work is accompanied by a Collector’s Print Package including poetic writings, curatorial insights, and field notes from the artist’s silent encounters with the sacred.

This is a collection of sacred stillness—where the Buddha is not only carved in stone, but revealed in light.