Faces of the Divine – Carvings of the Gods of Angkor

Photographs from the Spirit of Angkor series by Lucas Varro

Scattered across lintels, sanctums, and threshold walls, the gods of Angkor endure—not in thunder or grandeur, but in quiet presence. Carved in stone with a reverence that still breathes, these figures of Vishnu, Shiva, Brahma, Uma, Lakshmi, and countless celestial beings remain watchful, their forms softened by time yet radiant with spirit.

Each carving is a still point of devotion—a face half-lit by morning sun, a hand extended in silent benediction, a smile caught in the curve of shadow. These are not only gods imagined, but divinities invited. Brought down from myth into temple, from sky into stone, they were carved to dwell—not above—but within.

In this contemplative collection from the Spirit of Angkor series, Lucas Varro approaches these sacred figures through the lens of black-and-white analogue film. Using large and medium format cameras, long exposures, chiaroscuro, and hand-toning, he captures not just form, but emanation. Each image is a quiet meeting—a god glimpsed not in power, but in presence.

Printed in limited editions on museum-grade Hahnemühle Bamboo paper, each work is accompanied by a Collector’s Print Package including poetic writings, curatorial reflections, and field notes from the artist’s pilgrimages among the temples.

This is a collection of carved divinity—stone made sacred not by its monumentality, but by the stillness that lingers in its gaze.